


Delusions

by SumireYoshizawa



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hallucinations, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 63,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28029516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SumireYoshizawa/pseuds/SumireYoshizawa
Summary: Akira Kurusu has been expelled from his school because of his criminal record. But what he doesn't know is how his life is about to change drastically with chance encounters.
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 43





	1. A New Start

Akira suddenly woke up from falling asleep briefly. He was still on the train in Tokyo and he had managed to secure a seat since he first got on from his hometown. Just being awake again ticked Akira off. He remembered what sent him here in Tokyo. He had been coming home in his hometown when he heard a woman crying out for help. A man had been pulling her around when Akira showed up and pulled him away from the woman. As a result, he was expelled from high school and all his friends ignored him any moment they could. His family were visibly distraught and did not know what to do with Akira.

‘I would do it again, if I had to,’ Akira thought to himself. ‘Whatever.’ He turned his glance away and stared at an advertisement. Something about a refreshing drink helping girls with their diets. ‘Yeah right, what’s with that bullshit?’ Akira thought, coughing into his arm. ‘Ugh, whatever.’

There were two schoolgirls discussing something about mental shutdowns and how people were dying suddenly. He didn’t care for the girls’ rumours. Then Akira got out of the train at Shibuya for a transfer. He stepped out into the open air where numerous pedestrians were walking back and forth to their destination. That was when a red icon with an eye on it showed up on his phone screen before enlarging that it took up his lower screen.

Akira felt a strange sensation overcome him as he looked around the area. Everyone had been frozen in place, which was impossible for reality. Then, Akira looked straight ahead to the center of town where a fiery blue creature was looming over. Suddenly Akira was seen there with the fiery monster and a devious expression on his face before everything faded back to normal. “What the hell was that all about it?” Akira mumbled under his breath as he moved the creepy red eye application to the trash bin.

Akira ended up in Yongen Jaya station and took the escalators to the outside. He ignored the rest of the pedestrians and went straight to the back, following a map on his phone, and decided he was at this ‘Sojiro Sakura’s’ house. He rang the bell a few times, but no one came to the door. Cursing his luck, Akira heard the delivery truck stop by the house with a few packages in his arms. The delivery driver mentioned something about Sojiro being at ‘Leblanc’.

He then turned around away from the house and toward the small streetway of the area. Using his phone, Akira looked carefully before finding the correct street where this Leblanc was. It was actually a café with coffee and curry. He wondered how that worked out. He opened the door and entered the café. Immediately, his senses were drowned. The TV was speaking loudly about a bus accident. There were two elderly customers, probably husband and wife, sitting at a table while watching the TV.

“And down is… the name of a shellfish used in pearl farming…” the manager-looking man sitting on the stool in front of the counter. He was sitting with one leg folded up on the other leg while holding a newspaper as he worked through a crossword puzzle. “…Oh, right.” He tossed the paper onto the counter and turned to face Akira. Then he hopped off the stool. “They did say that was today.”  
  


“So you’re Akira?” Sojiro inquired. He had an arm on his hip as he spoke, and he was wearing a pink shirt and white dress pants under the dark green apron. He had a gentlemanly appearance to him.

“Yeah, what’s it to you?” Akira replied abrasively.

“Hey, I’m giving you a place to live. Your parents and a customer of mine know each other so— Eh whatever. Just follow me,” the manager Sojiro said as he led Akira to the attic.

Akira muttered under his breath but followed Sojiro to the attic. It was filled with a bunch of things. On one side had boxes, some kind of red containers, a heater, a ladder, three bags of mysterious items and a bookshelf that was covered in cobwebs. On the other side, there was a desk with numerous books with a covering over them, more bags of mysterious items and a few sandbags on a shelf, On the center floor was a large, clean-looking box. It might be his belongings from home. ‘Home, huh… They don’t even want me around. No one does.’

“This is your room. I’ll at least give you sheets for your bed,” Sojiro stated. “You look like you wanna say something.”

“This shit is where I’ll be living for a year?” Akira blurted out.

“At least you’re not on the streets,” Sojiro countered. “Anyway, I’ll be leaving after I lock up each day. You’ll be alone at night, but don’t do anything stupid. I’ll throw you out if you cause any trouble.” He then looked over at Akira. “I got the gist of your situation. You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right? That’s what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah? And now that you’ve got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school.”

“I could have hurt him if I wanted to,” Akira said aggressively. “But I actually didn’t. That time. But it’s not as if you’d believe me.” He turned away and looked around the attic where he’s going to be living for the year.

_“I heard he beat up some guy on the streets!”_

_“He’s been expelled! How scary is he?”_

_“Who cares about him?”_

_“Don’t talk to him! He might punch you out of the blue.”_

_“Get away from him!”_

Akira flinched as the voices returned. He could still remember their words as his classmates alienated him since finding out he was a criminal. He clutched his head as pain coursed through his brain. He did not like remembering his past. ‘This is so annoying,’ Akira told himself internally. ‘I didn’t do anything wrong, but I’m treated like a criminal. Bullshit.’

“Hey, are you okay?” Sojiro asked out of concern, for a first. He looked at Akira who was still clutching his head as if in pain. ‘Maybe he is in pain. I wonder what’s going on with this kid.’ He stuffed a hand in his pocket.

“What does it matter?” Akira mumbled. “I’m fine.” He lied through his teeth as he combated the head pain. He didn’t see any point in being honest with anyone. “Anyway, I guess I’ll clean up some of this.”

“Ah right, we’ll be going to Shujin tomorrow,” Sojiro suddenly remembered. “Ah, it’s a shame I have to spend my Sunday driving you to school. Well, your belongings arrived not long ago. I brought it up here for you.”

After Sojiro left the attic, Akira stared at the mess that was his room. He decided to clean the attic to make it a bit easier to live in. He dusted the windows and cleaned up a bit of the mess around the attic. Then he mopped the floor, which helped the floor look a bit better but not by much. After cleaning up, Akira changed into black shirt and beige sweatpants and retired to bed. He remembered his parents when they learned of his criminal record for the first time.

_“Why are you like this, Akira? You bring such shame to our family,” Akira’s mother said with such forlorn in her eyes and voice._

_“You are such a burden. I wish we never had you.”_

_“We’ll send you to Tokyo. See if you learn something.”_

_“No one wants you around.”_

Akira clutched his head again and flipped to his side in bed. He hated remembering what his friends and family said about him after being labeled a criminal. He wasn’t a burden and people wanted him around. ‘…As if… I am just a burden. No one wants to be around me anymore since I got a record. My so-called friends don’t even acknowledge me anymore.’ Eventually Akira fell asleep until the morning.

* * *

The morning arrived for Akira and Sojiro was already calling for him to get downstairs. Akira changed into his school uniform, which consisted of a black brazer, white undershirt and long red plaid pants along with black shoes. He went downstairs to see Sojiro in his pink shirt, white pants and a white trilby.

“I’ll be driving you there tomorrow, but you’re going to take the train starting tomorrow,” Sojiro said firmly. He crossed his arms across his chest as Akira walked toward him. The two got into his yellow-coloured car and the two rode off to Shuji Academy in Aoyama-Itchome. Upon arriving, they went straight to the principal office where another teacher was standing with the principal.

“This is nothing like your school back home,” the principal said. He had a large bald head with an obese body in a beige suit, white undershirt and a red bowtie. He rubbed his bald head. “So don’t you do anything stupid. You’ll be expelled here on the spot.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it,” Akira stifled a yawn. He doesn’t like how the staff here are already treating him like some kind of delinquent. It was a royal pain in the butt for Akira, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

“Please make sure this kid stays on track,” the principal said to Sojiro, rubbing his bald head again.

“I will have a talk with him later about the importance of what he’s doing,” Sojiro affirmed. He had his hand on his hip as he stood in front of the desk. He was getting rather impatient with the process as he had a café to open.

“And this here is your assigned teacher,” the principal said. “Don’t give her any trouble.” He stared squarely at Akira, who had been staring into space instead of listening to the adults talk about how he needs to be careful and respectful.

“I’m Sadayo Kawakami,” Kawakami introduced herself hesitantly. She did not want to be the teacher for a delinquent with a criminal record. Sighing, she took out Akira’s ID along with a poster underneath the ID. “Here’s your ID.”

‘Yadda, yadda, yadda don’t create trouble, yeah, sure, whatever,’ Akira thought to himself. Then he noticed the little poster with pink background and tilted his head curiously. He was about to say something when the teacher Kawakami quickly withdrew the poster, leaving his ID on the desk. He took the ID obediently enough and stuffed it in his pocket. ‘I wonder what THAT was all about,’ Akira thought.

“Can we go now? I have to open up my café,” Sojiro asked, his hand still on his hip. He did want to go home. The principal nodded and Sojiro took Akira and left the principal’s office. The two went to Sojiro’s car and the two rode back home, though traffic had suddenly formed in the middle of their trip home.

“Another accident?” Sojiro sighed as he rested his arm on the steering wheel. “This has been happening a lot lately.” Sojiro sighed as he watched the motionless traffic. “There was one accident not too long ago where a fifteen-year-old passed away. I can’t imagine how their parents feel…”

Akira was busy zoning out that he barely heard a word that Sojiro was saying. It wasn’t that Sojiro was boring, but he was a bit older and he was talking about things irrelevant to Akira. Akira yawned and leaned his head back on the headrest. He started dozing off a bit before Sojiro shook him awake.

“We’re here now,” Sojiro said a bit aggressively. He was not in a good mood right now, that much Akira can tell. “Geez, you had the audacity to fall asleep in my car. “And now it’s too late to open the café. What a bothersome day. Tomorrow, you’re going to take the train to school.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Akira nodded nonchalantly. He stepped into the café first and smelled the coffee aroma already. He pinched his nose and returned to the attic, and then changed into his black shirt and beige sweatpants. He felt more comfortable in these and there was no one to tell him what to wear now. ‘This is pretty nice, I guess,’ Akira thought to himself. He yawned and flopped onto his bed.

_“You’re so useless!”_

_“Get out of my way!”_

_“You’re just a burden for your family, you know?”_

_“You’re not part of us anymore, delinquent.”_

Akira jolted awake, perspiring profusely. ‘It was just a dream,’ Akira thought. ‘Just a dream…’ He checked his phone, and it was only 4:03 AM now. He groaned and turned to his side. ‘No point being awake right now. Hopefully I can go back to sleep.’

* * *

As morning approached, Akira woke up without another nightmare plaguing him. He went downstairs and was stopped to have breakfast. Which was curry and a cup of coffee. Akira was skeptical of this being his breakfast, but he sat down anyway and started chowing down. ‘Whoa what is this, this is really good,’ Akira thought. He said so aloud to Sojiro who merely looked smug. He thanked Sojiro for the breakfast and then headed out, only to be told to flip the sign at the door.

Akira left the area to the train station that was bound for Shibuya as that was his transfer stop. He got on the train and took it to Shibuya where he got off and made a few turns to the transfer train for Aoyama-Itchome. As he arrived at Aoyama-Itchome, it was raining lightly as Akira walked past the crowd and only slightly noticed a young girl in the same uniform get into a car. Akira shrugged as he continued walking when a blonde boy came by.

“Effin’ pervert,” the blonde muttered. _Keyword inputted._ Then he looked up at Akira. “You plannin’ on rattin’ me out on Kamoshida?” He stared at Akira quite intently, shuffling his feet. He dug his hands into his pockets. “Wait, you’re also a second year at Shujin?”

“Kamoshida? Shujin? What the fuck are you on about?” Akira asked bluntly. He looked bored, and frankly, was very bored. He didn’t know what this blonde kid was talking about, but it was irritating him greatly.

“I thought you were in Shujin Academy too,” the blonde said. What is he, a kind of king of a castle?” The blonde was muttering to himself as Akira just wanted to leave.

_Location and distortion inputted._

Akira pressed his fingers on his temples, trying to ease on an incoming headache. He wasn’t sure if he was hearing things or not when he heard a brief voice saying, ‘location and distortion inputted’. This wasn’t the first time. The first time was when the blonde boy was cursing some pervert. But he could just be hearing things all the same. Akira just wanted to get to school already.

The blonde led Akira through another corner and then when they arrived at the school, it was a large, imposing red castle instead. ‘That wasn’t how it looked yesterday,’ Akira thought. He peered around the castle to see if it was an illusion, but the castle remained standing strong. He pinched himself: he wasn’t dreaming.

“Uhhh, what is this? This is the school, right?” the blonde asked Akira. “Oh, I’m Ryuji Sakamoto. What’s your name?” Ryuji looked curiously at Akira and then returned to observing the castle. He, too, thought he was seeing an illusion, but the school didn’t waver at all.

“It really doesn’t concern me what your name is, but mine is Akira Kurusu,” Akira answered coldly. He trudged into the castle with Ryuji following, trying to catch up to Akira. As the two entered the castle, there was a brief change in scenery where the school’s lobby showed up before transforming back to the castle scenery.

“Is this still the school?” Ryuji asked curiously but Akira ignored the question. He looked around the castle. It looked just like a castle with red rugs on the floor and chandeliers hanging. Then suddenly someone showed up covered in metal armour while holding a sword and shield. “Geez, you freaked me out… Who’re you? You a student? Man, your costume’s impressive. Is that armour real? C’mon, don’t just stand there. Say somethin’.” That was when another armoured creature showed up. “H-Hey, what’s goin’ on?” Ryuji said in a slight panic.

Akira rubbed his temples again. He can’t believe Ryuji would think those creatures were students. They weren’t even in the school anymore, though he did not know where exactly they were now. ‘Looks like some kind of castle for real,’ Akira thought. ‘When did we get into a castle anyway?’

“Let’s run!” Ryuji shouted to Akira who merely held a hand over his ear from the sound. He started to run toward the entrance, but more armoured creatures showed up to block their exit. Just as Ryuji tried to move, an armoured creature struck at Ryuji, forcing him on his knees on the ground. Then Akira was pushed onto the floor as well.

Akira opened his eyes and rubbed his head. His headache was getting worse. He sat up and looked around his surroundings. Apparently, he was in a jail cell with chains hanging around the walls and barrels situated in the corner. The cell was locked obviously, and Ryuji was pacing around.

“Oh, you’re awake, man!” Ryuji turned to face Akira. “We’ve been imprisoned! We have to get out of here!” Ryuji began pacing around again, much to Akira’s chagrin. He stared through the bars, gripping with both hands. “We’re screwed!”

Akira covered his ears as he sat on the cot that he was apparently asleep on. Shaking his head, he looked around the cell. ‘How long have I been asleep for,’ Akira thought internally. He got up from the cot and walked around the cell. He examined the chains and pulled at them: unmovable. There were sunken holes on random spots of the walls.

“Someone’s coming!” Ryuji suddenly shouted, interrupting Akira’s investigation. He turned to face Akira again, looking panicked. Two of the armoured guards showed up at the cell from the outside and approached their cell.

“Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon,” one guard said. “Your charge is “unlawful entry.” Thus, you will be sentenced to death.”

“What?!” Ryuji yelled loudly in an outburst. He stared at the guard in disbelief. He did not want to die, especially not in this weird castle place. He started pacing around, almost as if he forgot Akira was there too.

That was when a familiar figure approached the cell. It was Kamoshida but he looked different. He had a golden-coloured crown on his head while wearing a pink cape with hearts design on the cape and fur collar. His hands were hidden in the cape as he stood outside the cell.

“No one’s allowed to do as they please in my castle,” Kamoshida announced. His eyes were sparkling yellow as he smirked at the two boys inside the cell.

“Kamoshida?! What are you doing here?” Ryuji exclaimed, staring at the Kamoshida in front of them. He gripped the bars separating Ryuji and Kamoshida.

“I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it’d be you, Sakamoto… Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven’t learned your lesson at all, huh?” Kamoshida smirked at Ryuji. Then he noticed Akira standing not far behind. “And you brought a friend this time too… because you can’t do anything by yourself.”

“This ain’t funny, you asshole!” Ryuji yelled at Kamoshida. He was outraged at being imprisoned and apparently by Kamoshida. They were also being sentenced to death by that asshole. Ryuji let go of the bars and clenched his fists. He wanted to deck Kamoshida in the face right now.

“Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don’t understand the position you’re in at all,” Kamoshida said. “Not only did you sneak into my castle, but you also committed the crime of insulting me—the king. The punishment for that is death. It’s time for an execution! Take him out!”

Ryuji backed away from the bars as the guards unlocked the cell and entered themselves. Kamoshida followed closely behind. When the guards were inside, Ryuji charged ahead and tackled one of the guards. Ryuji tried to run but the other guard struck Ryuji and pushed him down.

“Just go! Akira, go! Don’t worry about me!” Ryuji commanded Akira as he was on his knees, clutching his stomach from the strike from the guard. He was in pain and couldn’t run away too, but he didn’t want to die either.

“Well, all right then, I will,” Akira said quite nonchalantly as he headed toward the exit when Kamoshida entered the cell too and lifted Ryuji up. Kamoshida gave a punch to Ryuji in the face. Ryuji flinched and crashed his back into the bars. ‘Well, now I feel bad for leaving while he’s getting beaten up.’

Take this!” Kamoshida delivered another punch to Ryuji. “Lowly scum!” Another punch to the gut. “Useless pest!” Yet another punch to the gut. He had a devious smirk on his face as he was beating up Ryuji, who had fallen in a lump on the floor. “A peasant like you isn’t worth beating. I’ll have you killed right now.’

“Quit that, you bastard,” Akira snarled at Kamoshida, fully aware of what he’s doing. He was dragging himself into someone else’s case. He would just end up with the same treatment as back home. Rejected, ignored, avoided. Akira bit his lip out of frustration, but he wanted to do something.

“What? Don’t you dare tell me you don’t know who I am,” Kamoshida smirked. Then he kicked Akira in the gut as he fell on the floor. “Hold him. After this peasant dies, it’s his turn to die.”

Akira rose to his feet and tried to move forward but the two guards held him back with their swords. He bit his lip as he watched uselessly. That was when he heard a voice in his head, unlike the usual ones he heard berating him and reminding him of his ‘crime’.

“This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…”

Then another voice came in. “What’s the matter? Are you simply going to watch? Are you forsaking him to save yourself? Death awaits him if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?” With that, the memory of trying to save the woman from the drunken man back home came flooding his brain.

‘No! It wasn’t!’ Akira thought internally.

“Very well… I have heeded your resolve.” Akira was suddenly in pain, perspiring heavily as he tried to scream. “Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I… Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!” Akira squirmed and twisted about in pain. “Call upon my name and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thin own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!”

“Execute him!” Kamoshida commanded with a smirk on his face while pointing at where Ryuji was lumped at.

“Stop!” Akira shouted, clenching his fists in frustration.

“What was that? You desire to be killed that much? Fine!” Kamoshida turned around with his guards and faced Akira with a menacing expression.

Akira was held by the swords with his eyes closed, head down. Then he opened his eyes, and a strong gust of wind blew through and knocked the guard captain down on its behind. A mask suddenly showed up on Akira’s face, a white mask with black lining the eyes area. Akira tried to pull on the mask, to take it off. Eventually Akira ripped off the mask and blood flew off, while he smirked and blue flames surrounded Akira completely and a strange being showed up behind Akira. It had a tall black hat wearing a red jacket over its black body and a pair of red pants as well as large black wings.

“I am the pillager of twilight— “Arsène”!” Arsène spoke. “I am the rebel’s soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis.” Arsène floated smugly.

“Just give me your power!” Akira shouted to the newly formed being. He didn’t want to be weak anymore, so he’ll take anything to prove he wasn’t useless or a burden. If this was it, he’ll take it. However risky it might end up being.

“Hmph, very well…” Arsène said thoughtfully.

“Who the hell are you?!” Kamoshida said stubbornly. “Guards! Start by killing that one!” Kamoshida pointed at Akira this time. The two guards turned into two creatures that looked like a pumpkin with glowing yellow eyes, a cape covering nothing that is its body while holding a lantern and a mage’s hat. “You’ll learn the true strength of my men!”

Akira took out a knife from his side, which he was curious about where it came from but that didn’t matter, because it was showtime with Kamoshida’s grunts. He jumped forward and slashed one of the grunts on the side, one of the blue covered monsters jumped at Joker and slashed him on the side, causing Akira to wince backwards.

“Eiha!”

Arsène showed up and casted a skill on the monster. A red fiery stripes aura crept up around the blue monsters and knocked out one of the monsters. Akira jumped to the side before up to the monster and slashed it with his knife. The monster aimed for Akira again, but he dodged it and slashed the monster once more, causing it to dissipate into nothing. As the battle ended, Akira felt something happened with Arsène, feeling he learned a new move called Cleave. Akira smirked as he came out victorious.

“Whoa… What just happened?” Ryuji said flabbergasted, still sitting on his behind as he leaned against the cell walls. He stared at Akira in his new outfit, which was a long black overcoat with two tailcoats over a grey undershirt and long black pants with black dress shoes.

Akira examined his new outfit and was impressed with this design. Whoever got him in this was impressive. He looked through and through this outfit when he noticed Kamoshida about to approach him and the blonde. ‘Oh right, Sakamoto,’ Akira reminded himself internally.

That was when Ryuji got up and tackled Kamoshida to the floor. Kamoshida fell on the floor as the cell keys fell on the floor. Akira shouted to Ryuji to grab it and lock the cell while Kamoshida was still inside. Ryuji snatched up the cell keys and the two ran out as Ryuji locked the cell.

“Damn you!” Kamoshida cursed the two students.

Akira’s outfit suddenly changed back into his school uniform, which was disappointing for Akira. He thought he looked rather nice in that new outfit. Shrugging, he started off from the cell to find the exit. He ran ahead and made a few turns and hopped over metal crates to the other side. Then he ran across to the other side and climbed into a small hole in the wall to exit that cell. He went past the drawbridge and was about to enter a new area when Ryuji cautioned him to hide. There were guards running past where they just were. The two then climbed up spiral stairs and finally opened up to a new area.

The new area featured a small flowing river as they exited the stairs. As they walked, they saw people being imprisoned inside metal crates hanging over the river. Ryuji showed concern but Akira just wanted to get out of here. He went straight to the end of this corridor only to end up in a dead end.

“A dead end?! What are we supposed to do?” Ryuji complained loudly.

A voice suddenly spoke up. “Blondie! Frizzy Hair! Look over here!” It was like some weird cat standing on two legs with an oval-shaped head over a small body and wearing a yellow scarf. Akira stared at the thing inside the cell.

“What is this thing?” Ryuji said as he stared at the creature too. It was a strange creature resembling a cat.

“You’re not soldiers of this castle, right?! Get me out of here!” the creature begged with Akira and Ryuji. “Look, the key’s right there!”

“We’re trying to get the hell out of here!” Ryuji shouted at the strange cat. “I mean, you obviously look like an enemy too!”

“I’m locked up here, so how can I be your enemy?! Help me out!”

“A cat?” Akira suddenly spoke up, examining the strange cat. He really looked like a cat especially with how his body was black, but his paws were white. He really looked like a cat now that he examined the strange creature closely.

“I am NOT a cat! Say that again and I’ll make you regret it!” the strange creature shouted, shaking the bars.

There was noise coming from the other side as Ryuji started panicking. “They’re catchin’ up already! Shit, there’s still no service. Ain’t there a way to contact someone outside?!” How the hell do we get out?!”

“Hey, you two! You want to know where the exit is? Let me out and I’ll take you there. You don’t want to get caught and executed, right?”

“You better not be lying,” Akira threatened the strange cat. He glared daggers at the cat. He looked around the surroundings for any approaching guards. There were slight noises but they were still a bit safe for now. Akira reached toward the hanging keys by the cell and grabbed a hold of them.

“I’m not lying! It’s the truth!” The cat exclaimed, shaking the bar again in an attempt to be heard and believed.

“This thing sounds like it’s all talk,” Ryuji said suspiciously. He didn’t quite believe this monster cat could know where the exit was when he’s been imprisoned himself. But he may have been around longer, so he probably did know where the exit was.

He wasn’t even aware that Akira took the cell keys already. Then he saw the keys dangling from Akira’s right hand. “O-Oh, you already got the keys to free this strange thing.” Akira took the keys and keyed in the keyhole and opened the cell. The strange cat thing stepped out and they could see he had a black tail with a white tip as well. He was looking more and more like a cat than anything.

“Ahhhh…. Freedom tastes so great…” the creature said as he smiled. He stretched his paws and body as he walked around the two guys who freed him. He felt very relieved to finally be released and looked around Akira and Ryuji.

“Hey! Where’s the exit, you monster cat?!” Ryuji demanded of the cat. He was obviously panicking about getting out of here and not being imprisoned again. He started pacing around the small area they were in.

“Don’t call me a cat! I am Morgana!” The strange cat named Morgana responded.

“Shuddup and hurry it up! You wanna be locked up again?!” Ryuji argued with Morgana. He was getting really antsy and nervous about the whole situation. He just wanted to get out of this strange place.

“A-All right sheesh!” Morgana said. “Follow me and stay quiet!”

Akira and Ryuji decided to follow Morgana for the castle exit. As they moved ahead, Morgana turned to the left and stopped at a mechanism where there was a statue of Kamoshida with soulless eyes.

“Lower the bridge! You, Frizzy Hair. It seems like you pick up on things faster than our Blondie over here. Try checking around the mouth of this statue, okay?” Morgana instructed Akira. He then went to the side so Akira could investigate the statue.

Akira walked up to the statue and pulled on a switch that was the statue’s jaw. He felt a bit creeped out by this mechanism, but this was no time feeling uncomfortable. They had to get out of here quick before Kamoshida caught them again.

The trio started running ahead when two monsters showed up, causing Ryuji to backstep. Morgana jumped ahead and called forth his persona. It was covered in blue flames and its head was covered with a metal plate along with his collar sticking out from the side of his neck. He had an imposing, bulky body while also sporting a comical appearance.

“Eiha!” Akira called out and Arsène showed up and casted the spell on the red-coloured monster, striking it down to the floor.

“I knew you were an amateur! I’ll show how it’s done!” Morgana said as he called forth his persona. “Zorro!” The being called Zorro showed up and casted a gust of wind toward the enemy. The wind struck the blue monster with the pumpkin head and blue cape along with holding a lantern. The move struck especially effective on the monster causing it to fall down for a few moments.

“Strike at an enemy’s weakness to knock them down! Use that opening to strike again! That’s the most basic of basic! Remember it well!” Morgana instructed Akira as he stepped to the side by a bit.

Akira ran forward to the pinkish-red creature that had small wings over its back and an extremely thin body and a long tail. Then Akira struck the monster and finished it off as it faded into nothing. He jumped back and called forth Arsène, and called out, “Eiha!” Arsène showed up and casted the red fiery spell on the monster and finished off the pumpkin-head monster after Morgana had weakened it earlier.

“Not bad. Your Persona’s pretty powerful,” Morgana noted of Akira. He was impressed with Frizzy Hair even though he was totally a newcomer to summoning persona.

“Persona?” Akira asked curiously. He was curious what his newfound powers were called. ‘So it’s persona… Arsène must be a persona then,’ Akira thought internally. He was impressed, with the cat or rather Morgana.

“Yes. Like how you ripped off your mask when you summoned it, right?” Morgana answered. “Well, everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that…”

Akira suddenly changed back to his school uniform once again. It was frustrating to Akira that he wasn’t able retain his persona form. He clenched his fists, but it wasn’t like he was going to take out his frustration on anyone or anything.

“Hm, looks like you don’t have full control over your power yet,” Morgana explained. “The transformation shouldn’t normally dissolve like that. After all—”

“Argh! That’s enough!” Ryuji shouted. “I don’t get this anymore.” Ryuji was getting confused over the persona explanation and the control over the power. He was getting frustrated with the explanations though he had none himself.

“Can’t you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie?!” Morgana shouted at the blondie. He was getting impatient with the blondie as well because he kept getting interrupted.

“Don’t call me Blondie! My name’s Ryuji, man!” Ryuji shouted back. Not only was he confused but he kept getting called by some strange name by Morgana. And then Morgana seemed to be showing favouritism with Akira, which made him slightly jealous.

“There’s no time to lecture you! You wanna escape this place in one piece, right? Let’s go!” Morgana shouted. “We’re almost there!”

Akira ran forward and past the drawbridge but turned to the right when Ryuji interrupted their escape route. They had reached outside another cell. Akira rubbed his temples as he was getting interrupted from freedom. He stared at Ryuji.

“Wait!” Ryuji suddenly shouted and stopped in his tracks. “I feel like I’ve seen what this dude’s wearin’ before… Damnit! I’m too flustered! I can’t remember anything right now!” He clenched his fist as he stared at the person lying on the floor as if in pain.

“Come on, let’s go!” Morgana hurried the blondie or Ryuji. He was worried they’d get caught by the Palace ruler if they stayed here any longer.

“Hold on, damnit!” Ryuji said in a frustrated tone of voice. He wanted to know what exactly those guys are doing here and where they were from. They were at the cusp of his mind, but he couldn’t recall it.e

“We need to go, now! Fast!” Morgana countered. He didn’t understand why Ryuji was so hung up on these cognitions of people. He just wanted to bring those two out of the palace and continue his investigation. “Do you really have the time to worry about other people right now?! Besides, they’re—”

Then suddenly an armoured enemy showed up. The draw bridge had been lowered and the enemy approached Akira and Morgana. Akira nodded to Morgana as he switched to his persona outfit. He jumped forward and ripped off his mask as Arsène showed up.

“EIha!” Akira shouted as Arsène struck the blue pixie. The pixie had light blue wings, blue top and blue tights and red short hair. The attack struck the pixie effectively, causing the first one to dissipate already. He called forth Arsène again and used Eiha. Arsène had knelt on one knee and casted the spell again on the other pixie.

“Let’s get going!” Morgana rushed the group. “Before more shows up!” Morgana tried to move ahead but Ryuji wasn’t budging from the other cell.

“Hold on! We can’t just leave these guys here!” Ryuji said stubbornly. He didn’t want to leave people behind who were suffering.

“You really don’t get it, do you? Hrgh… There’s no time to explain,” Morgana said through his clenched teeth. “Look, I’m going. If you don’t want to follow, be my guest!”

The group started to head out again as they entered the tower and went up through the spiral stairs. They came out to an exit and entered the lobby where they entered the place from. Then Akira followed Morgana deeper into a hallway where there were two doors to choose from.

“We’re here!” Morgana announced proudly. He was glad he was able to escort the two to the exit.

“Really? We’re saved!” Ryuji said excitedly and ran forward to the door on the right. He slammed his body into the door, but it didn’t budge. “It’s not openin’! D’you trick us, you jerk?!”

“Don’t jump to conclusions! It’s here!” Morgana said, shaking his head as he turned around to the left door and opened the door. Akira and Ryuji turned to follow Morgana into the other room.

“Where are we supposed to get out from here? There aren’t even any windows!” Ryuji shouted, looking around the small room they were in.

“Amateur,” Morgana mumbled. “This is the most basic of basics.” Morgana sighed as he turned to face Akira with promise in his eyes. He had a feeling Frizzy Hair would know the answer to it.

“A ventilation shaft,” Akira replied. It was simple because he could see the ventilation shaft from where they were and that was the most likely method of escaping. It was basic as Morgana said.

“That’s right! As I thought, you’re a natural at this,” Morgana said proudly.

Ryuji jumped up from the shelf to where the shaft was located. He knocked off the metal and shoved it off the shelf, causing a huge ruckus that could probably be heard by the monsters around. Ryuji had fallen off the shelf along with the ventilation shaft cover.

“It’s time for you guys to go now!” Morgana rushed the two. He wanted to make sure they were out before resuming his investigation. Morgana looked a bit impatient to restart his investigation of this Palace.

“What about you?” Ryuji asked out of concern for a change. He was actually worried about Morgana staying in the castle after he was imprisoned.

  
“There’s something that I still have to do,” Morgana answered. “We’re going our separate ways.” He announced though he was a bit disappointed. Frizzy Hair held a lot of potential and could be part of his team.

“Don’t get caught again,” Akira said, with a teasing tone of voice. He was grateful for the not cat Morgana for leading them to the exit. He wondered if he’d meet Morgana again. ‘Probably not,’ Akira thought.

“You’ve got manners,” Morgana said. “Be careful on your way.”

Akira and Ryuji both jumped up on the shelf and crawled through the ventilation shaft. As Morgana watched, he had a contemplative expression on his face. He felt something might happen in the future.

“Those two seem useful…” Morgana mumbled. “Especially the frizzy-haired one, if my judgement’s right…”


	2. Ruin and Rehabilitation

“Did we make it?” Ryuji asked, panting as he stood in the middle of the sidewalk not far from Akira. He turned to face Akira who was also panting, his hands on his hip as he tried to catch his breath.

“You have returned to the real world. Welcome back,” a mysterious voice came from Akira’s phone.

“Huh? Returned? Does that mean we got away? What was all that anyways? That castle and Kamoshida, and that weird cat!” Ryuji bombarded Akira with a bunch of questions. He was still in a panic even though they escaped the castle.

  
“What’s with the yelling? Are you students of Shujin? Cutting classes, are we?” A police officer came by and tossed a bunch of questions at Ryuji and Akira as they stood there.

“Huh? No! We were tryin’ to get to school, and we ended up at this weird castle!” Ryuji stammered, trying to get out his words even though his mistake was mentioning being at a castle while going to school.

“Hand over your bag. You better not be doing any drugs,” the officer commanded Ryuji, who looked flabbergasted.

“Why would you think that?!” Ryuji shouted, confused at why they would think they were doing drugs.

‘It’s no wonder they think we’re doing drugs, dumbass,’ Akira thought to himself. ‘What with you mentioning being at a castle? No sane person would believe that.’

“Are you his friend?” The officer turned to face Akira.

“No, not at all,” Akira replied bluntly. He turned around and started leaving the scene while leaving Ryuji behind. He didn’t really care for what happened to the Sakamoto kid, but he did want to get to school as he is probably in trouble for arriving so late. That was when he bumped into someone. He looked up and saw it was a girl in a black blazer over a white shirt and sported a red plaid skirt along with black tights. She had long red hair that flowed to her waist.

“Sorry,” Akira muttered under his breath as he started walking around the girl. But instead of going any further, the girl had grabbed onto his sleeve without letting it go. Akira raised an eyebrow at the girl, wondering what she was doing outside of school at this time. “Um… Can I help you?” Akira asked suspiciously.

“Are you going to Shujin?” the girl asked meekly. She was feeling very shy, but she saw the upperclassmen suddenly show up in the street out of nowhere. But she didn’t know how to approach other people; it had always been her sister who was able to do so without trouble. “I’ll bring you to school.” She suddenly took Akira’s wrist and hurried to Shujin Academy. When they got there, the mysterious young girl took Akira through a few twists and turns through the alleyways. When they arrived at Shujin Academy entrance, the girl had already disappeared back into the building.

In front of the entrance, a guidance counselor was standing on the top of the stairs with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked displeased as he spotted Akira at the bottom of the stairs. But Sakamoto wasn’t around and that was who he had to speak to.

“Go on, transfer student,” the guidance counselor said. “Go to the Faculty Office and see your teacher. I hear she’s been waiting a while, so you better not make any detours.”

Akira sighed and climbed up the stairs to the second floor and then went straight. He took the second door on the left. He sighed again and opened the door. He stepped toward where Kawakami was seated.

“This is unbelievable,” Kawakami sighed. “Over half a day late on your first day? Care to explain yourself?” She looked worn out and exhausted.

Akira thought long and hard for an answer. He couldn’t be honest lest be suspected of doing drugs like what happened not long ago with Sakamoto. He had to come with a good story for being this late. He thought and thought… until he believed he had a solid story.

“Well, I got on the wrong train at first and then I kind of got lost coming here because I was in a panic about being late after the first mistake,” Akira lied through his teeth. ‘Stupid teacher.’

“…I guess you are new around here, but being half a day late? Pull yourself together! You were given fair warning yesterday,” Kawakami said. “Anyway, break’s almost over. Classes will end after fifth period today because of the subway accident. I’ll have you introduce yourself when the class resumes. Follow me.”

Kawakami led Akira away from the Faculty Office and toward his classroom. As they stopped before reaching the classroom, Kawakami said, “When you introduce yourself, be serious about it even if you’re lying to the class. Do NOT say anything unnecessary.”

“…You think that’s him?”

“Huh? The one in the rumours?”

Akira entered his classroom and stood in front of the class. He could hear the rumours spreading about him already. He sighed and looked around the classroom. It was pretty packed except for one seat, which he assumed would be his.

“Being super late on his first day? He really is insane…”

“He looks normal though…”

“But he might slug us if we look him in the eye.”

“Settle down,” Kawakami said as she tried to regain control from the rumours. “Well, I’d like to introduce a transfer student: Akira Kurusu. Today, we... had him attend from the afternoon on since he wasn’t feeling well. All right, please say something to the class.”

Akira stared at the class. He wasn’t sure what to say so he remained silent. He knew more rumours would initiate with this silence, but he didn’t care. He just stood there, looking around the room. He yawned as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“He seems quiet… but I bet when he loses it…”

“I mean, he was arrested for assault, right?”

“Uhh… well, your seat will be… Hmm… Over there. The one that’s open,” Kawakami said, trying to change the subject from the rumours. “Sorry, but can the people nearby please share your textbooks with him for today?”

Akira walked over to the window where his seat was located. He heard a girl mutter, “Lies,” but he didn’t respond and continued to his seat, which happened to be behind the girl.

“Oh right! The volleyball rally’s in two days. Everyone’s just changed classes, so make sure you use that time to get to know each other,” Kawakami announced. “Well then, let’s get class started.”

After class ended, Akira left the classroom and suddenly the area transformed to the castle scenery before reverting back to the school setting. He rubbed his forehead from an incoming headache.

“Are you alright?” Kawakami asked as she exited the classroom, seeing Akira clutching his forehead.

“It’s none of your concern,” Akira mumbled. ‘Is this a school…? Or a castle…?’ Akira thought to himself.

“It seems like people are already talking about you, but I’m not the one who told them,” Kawakami said. “I can’t even catch a break. Why do I have to deal with this? You should head straight home without stopping by anywhere. Sakura-san sounded pretty angry.”

Akira left the school and took the train back to Leblanc. He knew Sojiro would be angry as warned by Kawakami. As he reached the café, Akira opened the door reluctantly as he could imagine what kind of things Sojiro would say. He stepped inside the café and made eye contact with Sojiro first thing he did when entering.

“What were you doing?! Why were you so late on your first day?!” Sojiro bombarded questions to Akira, who only winced at the sudden loudness. He slammed the paper on his thigh and then tossed it over the counter.

“I…got on the wrong train and then kind of got lost getting to school because I was in a panic about being late after the first mistake,” Akira lied as though he was already used to it. He didn’t really care though; he just didn’t want people to be on his back about being late when it was out of his control.

Sojiro sighed and looked away. “Look, remember you’re on probation,” Sojiro said in a resigned tone. “Just don’t go causing trouble for anyone.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it,” Akira mumbled under his breath and returned to the attic. He changed into a beige shirt and teal sweatpants as he sat down on his bed with his phone in hand. He browsed the news, but they were simply more reports on the accidents that had been occurring over Tokyo the past few days. He yawned and decided to sleep for the night.

As Akira slept, he felt he was being called into another place within his mind. When he awoke, he had been sleeping on a hard cot. There were chains hanging around the area as it seemed he was in a cell. He was also dressed in a prisoner’s outfit with his hands chained together. He glanced at his hands and was shocked he was imprisoned. Then suddenly there were giggles from outside the cell. Two small twins showed up outside the cell which was barricaded with chains over the bars. One twin had an eyepatch over her left eye and the other had it over her right eye. Akira attempted to move forward but felt his foot was unable to move freely so he looked back and saw it was chained to a heavy ball. He moved forward slowly then as he reached the bars, the twins turned to the side and showed a short man sitting at a desk with an extremely long nose.

“Trickster… Welcome to my Velvet Room…”

Akira tried to struggle with the bars, but they wouldn’t budge.

“So you’ve come to, Inmate,” one of the twins said.

The other one said, “The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream.”

“You’re in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!” the twin on the right commanded.

“Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a ‘contract’ may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well,” the long nose man named Igor said. “I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well.

“Important matters?” Akira questioned Igor. He wanted to escape too, but it seemed he’s still dreaming.

“Still, this is a surprise… The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think a prison would appear as such. You truly are a ‘prisoner’ of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you.

“Ruin? What ruin?” Akira demanded to know from Igor. He was confused about what was happening to him.

“I speak of the end to everything. However, there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be ‘rehabilitated.’ Rehabilitated toward freedom… That is your only means to avoid ruin… Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world? Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation.” Then the twins turned to face Akira again. “Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To you right is Caroline, to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here.”

“Hmph try and struggle as hard as you like,” said Caroline who had an eyepatch over her right eye.

“The duty of wardens is to protect inmates. We are also your collaborators,” Justine said, the one who had an eyepatch over her left eye. “That is, if you remain obedient.”

“I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion. Now then, it seems the night is waning… It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…” Then a siren sounded as Akira left the bars to glance up at the alarm system.

“Time’s up,” Caroline said, holding a taser in her left hand. “Now hurry up and go back to sleep.

The next morning, Akira woke up again and checked he was in the Leblanc attic. Making sure of that, he sat up on his bed and remembered his dream, or something reminiscent of a dream. “Ruin… rehabilitation… What is all that about?” Akira spoke aloud to himself. Then he changed into his school uniform and headed to school as usual and ended up in school. He was seated in his classroom as the teachers lectured. He figured that would happen; the same thing that occurred yesterday was unlikely to happen again. At least not the same way. Akira yawned quite widely and rested his head on his right hand as he stared out the window. ‘What was that “Welcome back to the real world” all about? This is pretty suspicious, but whatever,’ Akira thought.

As class ended, he slid open the classroom door and immediately bumped into the same redheaded girl who had led him to the school after the castle excursion. She looked startled but at the same time she grabbed Akira’s wrist and pulled him along outside. She led him into the stairs as he allowed himself to be pulled along for the sake of ease. The two climbed two flights of stairs before arriving at the rooftop. She pushed the door open and released Akira’s hand.

“What the hell did you drag me here for?” Akira questioned the redhead, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. He then took a seat on one of the chairs scattered about the rooftop, crossing his legs as he was seated.

“Um… I just wanted to apologise for pulling you suddenly yesterday,” the girl said, bowing her head. Sumire wasn’t sure what brought her to do that for the other student sitting on the chair. She’d heard the rumours about him, but she didn’t really care for them. “Um… I heard the school talking about you. But don’t worry, I don’t believe in them!” Sumire said suddenly.

“And what if they’re real?” Akira smirked. He thought he’d had fun with this girl who seemed bold, at least bold enough to talk to him and drag him to places. She still seemed quite meek and withdrawn.

“A-Ah?!” Sumire stuttered. “Um… well… I don’t think they are!” Sumire tried to smile but it failed to reach her eyes, which Akira noticed as well. “I have rumours about me too…” Her eyes immediately looked down on the floor.

“Oh?” Akira leaned forward, placing his chin on his hand. “What kind of rumours would a pretty girl like you have?” He teased her as he was still leant forward to hear the story behind this girl. He wondered what made her come up to him.

“Um… Well, my…sister passed away recently, and people are saying I’m cursed and that it was my fault my sister died… And they’re saying I shouldn’t be an honour student…” Sumire said softly, fiddling with her fingers as she told her story.

“Feh,” Akira said, disgusted. He wasn’t disgusted with the redhead’s story but more with the other students. He hated people like that, spreading these false rumours about innocent people who did nothing wrong. “That’s just some bullshit.”

Sumire was tearing up and could only nod without breaking down. She twisted her fingers some more to the point they started looking red. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to bring down the mood…” Sumire said, looking downcast and guilty.

“Eh, it’s not your fault,” Akira stated plainly, looking away from the girl. “Anyway, you should head home.” Akira wasn’t trying to shoo her away, but he wanted to visit the castle again. He figured it must have something with the app that appeared out of nowhere and wouldn’t be deleted.

“A-Ah, what’s your name though?” Sumire asked meekly, twiddling her fingers again. She was still looking down, this time out of meekness. She wasn’t sure if she was intruding or not.

“Akira Kurusu,” Akira replied nonchalantly. He didn’t really care about revealing his name; not like that would impact anything in his life. He stifled a yawn and got up from the chair. He would visit the castle right after he finished talking.

“O-Oh. Akira-senpai!” Sumire finally looked up at Akira. She had a bad habit of always looking down, at least since her sister died and she became very depressed. “U-Um… I’m Sumire. Sumire Yoshizawa.”

“I see,” Akira said. “Well, I gotta go now, so see ya.” Akira started walking toward the door and left the rooftop. Sumire had quickly gotten up and ran after Akira out of the rooftop. When they reached the second floor, there were whispers spreading already.

“Is that the delinquent and the cursed honour student?”

“Ew what are they doing together?”

“Could they be dating?”

“Wow, I can’t imagine them dating.”

Akira sighed and rubbed his temples with his left hand. He could feel a headache coming on just listening to the catty girls’ gossiping. He glanced over at Sumire from the corner of his eyes and noticed she wasn’t taking the gossiping well. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her outside the school and into the alleyway.

“See why you shouldn’t be hanging around with me?” Akira said sardonically. He sighed as he closed his eyes, leaning his back on the wall.

“Um… I don’t mind, I already have t-those rumours already…” Sumire said hesitantly. She looked down on the floor as she twiddled with her thumbs. She felt helpless, unable to repel the rumours. Sumire sighed and looked away from Akira. She was getting negative and could spiral at any time.

“What’s wrong?” Akira asked, with some concern in his voice. He wasn’t sure why he was concerned, but he figured it was because she was the first person to really speak to him regardless of his record.

_“Don’t talk to him! He might punch you.”_

_“Ooh how scary. That boy is pathetic.”_

_“Don’t look at him in the eye.”_

Akira flinched and held his head with his hands immediately. He did not expect the voices to come out now when there was someone else around. He was bending forward clutching his head unable to look at Sumire. Akira wished he didn’t hear these voices, but they started since he got sued by that drunk asshole.

Sumire looked at Akira who had suddenly clutched his head with his hands and looked to be in pain. She reached out a hand to him, but he pushed it aside. “Are you okay, Akira-senpai?!” Sumire asked in a panic. She wasn’t sure what to do when Akira suddenly bent like that.

“I’m…fine,” Akira panted. “Don’t worry about me.” Akira still had his head in his hands, trying to deal with the headache that always came with the voices. It was more intense than usual, but Akira bit his lower lip and tried to persevere through the pain. Sighing, Akira stared down on the floor for a while before the headache started to subside. “Yeah, I’m good now. It was nothing. Anyway, I have to go somewhere now.”

“Where to?” Sumire asked curiously. She wanted to tag along with Akira-senpai already. She felt safe with Akira even with the gossiping around. But she knew she was intruding yet she asked. “Um, I’ll like to come along, if possible.”

“No,” Akira said adamantly. “You’ll just get in my way.” Akira knew it would hurt her feelings, but it was best that way, keeping potential friends away before they end up abandoning him. He was going to do the abandoning first now.

“W-Why not, S-Senpai?” Sumire stumbled with her words. She was hoping she could hang out with Akira. She looked down with a downcast expression, her hands dropping to her side. She was disappointed, and she couldn’t lie about that.

“It’s dangerous for one,” Akira replied. “But you really will be in the way. Don’t follow me.” He wanted to warn her from hanging around him, that there will be dangers for both. But what Akira wanted to do was check out the castle again. It didn’t seem likely he would be able to go today, if Sumire was insistent on coming along. “Just don’t.” He gently pushed Sumire out of the alleyway and made sure she wasn’t visible before he took out his phone. He navigated to the mysterious app and tapped the creepy red-eye icon, going to the search history and tapping Kamoshida’s castle.


	3. Second Awakening

Ryuji ran over to the alleyway where he spotted Akira. He had a feeling Akira was going back to the castle, which meant he found a way to go back. And Ryuji wanted in on that; he had to do something for the other prisoners. Ryuji managed to make it to Akira when the surroundings started to swirl and flash a few times before they were transported to the other world. Unbeknownst to Akira and Ryuji, Sumire had also been transported but she stayed hidden as she observed the two.

“Hey! It’s the castle from yesterday!” Ryuji exclaimed. “So does that mean what happened yesterday was for real too? Aaah! Those clothes…”

Akira shrugged and continued to listen to what this idiot has to drone on about. “That happened last time too!” Ryuji exclaimed. “What’s with that outfit?” He stared at Akira with his new outfit already.

“You jelly?” Akira smug, flexing his fingers as a means of showing off to Ryuji. He also checked out his outfit some more. He had a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, long black pants brown-black winklepickers and a pair of red gloves. He flexed again before dropping his arms to his side.

“N-No!” Ryuji stammered. “What’s goin’ on here!? This makes no effin’ sense at all.”

That was when a familiar voice called out and the two glanced to the side to see it was Morgana the not cat. “Hey! What are you doing? You’re making a bunch of ruckus that the shadows are getting restless. To think you guys would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape.

“What is this place? …Is it the school?” Ryuji asked suspiciously, eyeing the castle in front of them. It was in the same position as the school, so it only made sense to believe it was the school. Yet this was a castle no matter how you look at it.

“That’s right,” Morgana acknowledged, nodding. “This castle IS the school. But only to this castle’s ruler. I think you called him Kamoshida. It’s how his distorted heart views the school.”

“What the fuck is this bullshit?” Akira asked in an irritated tone. He didn’t like Kamoshida so far. He didn’t want to be in this disgusting castle with such a ruler dressed the way he was. It was disgusting to be here, but he wanted to investigate the castle regardless.

“Explain in a way that makes sense!” Ryuji demanded of Morgana, stepping ahead with a loud stomp. Ryuji couldn’t help being less intelligent with words. He glanced hopefully at Morgana until his next response.

“I shouldn’t have expected a moron to get it…” Morgana sighed. He stared at Ryuji and was disappointed he wasn’t understood easily. “You’re hopeless.” Morgana looked away from Ryuji in slight disgust.

“What’d you say?!” Ryuji shouted. “I’m not a moron!” He was outraged at being insulted, as always. He stomped his foot again. Then suddenly loud screams were heard from within the castle. “What was that?!”

“It must be the slaves kept captive here,” Morgana stated, glancing over at the castle. He looked a bit concerned as it was obvious from his facial expression.

“Oh shit, it’s for real! We saw other guys held captive here yesterday… I’m pretty sure they’re from our school,” Ryuji said in a panic, starting to pace around. He wanted to do something for the other students.

“Most likely on Kamoshida’s orders. It’s nothing out of the ordinary; it’s like that every day here,” Morgana explained. “What’s more, you two escaped yesterday. He must have lost his temper quite a bit.” He looked over to the two teenage boys, one panicking and the other looked calm and collected as though it didn’t concern him as much.

“That son of a bitch!” Ryuji cursed their PE teacher, stamping down both his feet in frustration. He hated Kamoshida even more now. He swore he would take revenge on Kamoshida one day.

“Ryuji?” Morgana asked curiously, glancing at the blondie. He seemed really pissed off, like he was personally offended by this Kamoshida.

“This is bullshit!” Ryuji shouted as he ran to the entrance and slammed his body against the doors. “You hear me, Kamoshida?!” He was seething with rage. He could fly at anyone off the handle.

“Doing that isn’t going to open it, you know…” Morgana said worriedly. “Still, it seems you have your reasons.” He was curious why Ryuji was so angry and pissed with Kamoshida. He looked around to Akira who was just standing there listening.

“Hey Monamona!” Ryuji suddenly called out to the cat, stepping away from the entrance doors. He hurried over to where Monamona was. He had to know. He was depending on the cat.

“It’s Morgana, dumbass,” Akira replied cockily. He had one hand on his waist as he stood by Morgana and Ryuji who was acting like the dumbass he was. He was losing a bit of patience with Ryuji.

“Shush. Anyway, do you know where those voices are comin’ from?” Ryuji inquired, determined to do something about the imprisoned students. He didn’t care what he had to do, he just had to do _something_.

“You want me to take you to them? Well… I guess I could guide you there. But only if he comes with us,” Morgana said smugly, looking up at Akira with promising eyes. He hoped Akira would agree to tagging along.

Akira sighed. “Well, I did come here to investigate this castle after all so why not,” Akira shrugged. He wasn’t really interested in these slaves, but a guide through the palace would be good. He flexed his fingers and neck as he prepared to enter the castle again.

“All right then! Follow me!” Morgana said as he led the two teenagers to the window where Akira and Ryuji escaped from last time. “This is our infiltration point,” Morgana announced as he leaped up onto the barrel and then into the windowsill. “Oh, before that, Frizzy Hair. What’s your name?”

Akira shrugged and gave it. “Akira Kurusu.” He wasn’t sure what the purpose is for knowing his name, but he figured he might as well be nice to that cat monster.

“Gotcha, Akira!” Morgana said cheerfully. He had his essential pawn’s name now.

“This is where we escaped from last time,” Ryuji stated as though he said it astutely. He nodded to himself a few times. He looked proud of himself for once and started to head over to the barrel.

“Of course, dumbass,” Akira said sarcastically, shaking his head in disappointment. Ryuji was definitely a moron. He sighed at who he was going to partner with for this excursion, or for whom he was doing it for. Akira kicked at the ground before walking to the barrel.

“Hey, no need for insults,” Ryuji said in an injured tone. He wasn’t a dumbass, at least he didn’t think so. He was just a bit slow and had difficulty understanding complex concepts. Ryuji kicked at the ground with his head lowered, avoiding looking at Akira or Morgana.

“Not barging in through the entrance is one of the basics of phantom thievery,” Morgana stated. “I’ll make sure to teach you as we go. Come on, follow me!” Morgana jumped through the windowsill and into the castle.

“This place is as creepy as ever,” Ryuji commented as he jumped up on the barrel and through the windowsill.

“Mmhm. Now, make sure you do exactly as I say, all right?” Morgana informed the group. Then he ran off ahead and to the right as Akira and Ryuji followed close behind. The three of them crossed the entrance hall. After crossing, there was a spiral staircase where Joker led the way until they reached a small area with a small river flowing in the middle. As Joker crossed, he stopped right before the metal gate.

“Shoot. I knew there’d be a guard here,” Morgana said disappointedly. “It looks like we’re going to have to start fighting our way forward.”

“Eiha!” Akira shouted as he ripped off his mask and Arsène appeared in a blue fiery aura. The Shadow leaned forward a bit and casted the red and black stripes spell on the Shadow. It struck the Shadow on the head and in retaliation, the Shadow struck Arsène on the leg, causing Akira to wince as his leg was hurt in return.

“Are you okay, Akira?!” Morgana asked, looking quickly at Akira who shrugged it off. Then Morgana yelled out, “Zorro! Dia!” His large Persona appeared and floated upwards. He then spread his arm out and a green wind was felt as it surrounded Akira.

Akira scoffed and nodded his head but felt the effects of the healing spell. Then Akira shouted again, “Eiha! Finish it, Arsène!” Arsène showed up again and casted the spell again on the Shadow. It struck the Shadow on the chest this time and dodged its counter before slashing the Shadow, causing the Shadow to dissipate into particles before disappearing.

“I’m fine,” Akira said adamantly and to demonstrate that, he walked normally and headed forward while Morgana and Ryuji hurried along to catch up. Akira turned to the left over a drawbridge and hurried ahead when Ryuji stopped him from going any further.

“Why isn’t anyone here?” Ryuji asked confusedly. ‘Damnit, they were here before! Where’d they go?!” Ryuji stomped the ground with both feet in frustration.

“Quiet!” Morgana demanded Ryuji, shushing the excited boy. He didn’t want to be captured again so he wished Ryuji would be a little quieter. Or a lot.

“Oh yeah, there were more of ‘em further in too!” Ryuji said, ignoring Morgana. Then he ran off further into the hallway before rushing back a few moments later. “Crap, I can hear footsteps comin’! Lots of ‘em!”

“It would be a problem if they found us now…” Morgana said contemplatively. Then he walked toward a hazy-looking door. “Let’s head into that room. We should be able to hide in there until they leave.” The group headed through the hazy room that seemed to border not existing. “We should be safe from the Shadows here.”

“How can you tell?” Ryuji asked.

“There’s a lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler’s control over this area is weak,” Morgana explained. Just as he said that the room surroundings changed to a classroom appearance with only one desk before turning back to the castle room. “This place is another reality that the ruler’s heart projects. One could say it’s a world in which one’s distorted desires have materialized. I call such a place a “Palace.” This is happening because he thinks the school is his own castle. Are you curious about your outfit?”

“I personally am not,” Akira replied nonchalantly. He shrugged and leaned against the door with an expression of boredom on his face. He wanted to fight these Shadows to get a taste of this combat.

“Hell yeah!” Ryuji answered otherwise. He was getting excited learning about this Palace, Shadows, and in general the cognitive world. But he doubted he’d be able to retain the information, so he’d rely on Akira for the details.

“That’s also because of this world. Anything that distorts according to how a ruler pleases within his Palace. A school can turn into a castle like this, after all. In order to prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion. Your image is a manifestation of that. It’s the image of rebellion that you hold within,” Morgana explained.

“What are you?” Ryuji asked bluntly.

“A human, honest to good human,” Morgana answered. “This is, well… it’s because I lost my true form, I think. But I do know how to regain my true form. The reason why I snuck in here was for a preliminary investigation of those means. Well, I ended up getting caught though… Besides, I’ve been tortured by Kamoshida too! I’m gonna make him pay for sure!”

“Let’s continue,” Akira interrupted. “I think it should be safe now.” He only guesstimated the time but there should have been enough time elapsed for it to be safe to exit. Akira looked to Morgana who simply nodded.

“Yes, I believe it should be safe to leave now,” Morgana nodded. He was impressed that Akira was able to guess when the Shadows would be mostly gone. ‘But he is leaning against the door so that may be how he could tell…’ Morgana thought internally.

The three left the safe room, the one they were just at where the ruler’s control was at the lowest. Akira led the group past the cells and turned to the left to a barred door. He flipped the switch and went through the door, the other two following closely behind. In the new area, Akira took the right path through and stopped just before a Shadow was standing there.

“Are you ready?” Akira asked Morgana as he changed his stance to prepare for the fight. “Let’s go, Morgana.” He stepped forward and dashed to the Shadow, taking out his knife and slashing the Shadow across the chest. He jumped backwards a few steps to avoid retaliation from the Shadow. The Shadow slipped through and slashed Morgana, who winced. He jumped away from the Shadow and landed to its right.

“Zorro! Garu!” Morgana shouted. The massive black Persona appeared and with an outstretched arm, it casted the spell. A green wind surrounded the Shadow and struck it on its back. Morgana leaped into the air, his scimitar materializing in his forepaws and as he was landing, Morgana struck the Shadow from above. The Shadow started dissipating into nothingness as Morgana sheathed his weapon again.

Akira nodded and continued along the path. They took another turn and entered into an area with a river flowing in the middle. He hurried along the river and turned left to see another guard Shadow standing in front of a door.

“That’s where we have to go…” Morgana confirmed. He looked to Akira for any response, but Akira just stared straight at the Shadow. Morgana waited patiently for any commands from Akira. He figured they had no choice than to fight it.

“Let’s go, Morgana,” Akira said firmly. He ripped off his mask again and Arsène appeared. The masked Persona floated in the air. “Cleave!” Arsène reached out and in a flash, Arsène slashed the enemy horizontally, finishing it off in one hit. Akira did not expect to finish the enemy in one hit, but it must have been super weak.

Akira shrugged and led the group through another door where it revealed a purple-hued room. It had a marquee hanging that read: Kamoshida’s Training Hall of Love. Akira looked around the room and it was completely barren except for a table and a few scattered chairs. The door was huge, where the purple light was mostly concentrated on.

“Here we are!” Morgana announced. “This is it. This is where the slaves are kept.”

“What kinda bullshit is this?! Training Hall of Love?!” Ryuji exclaimed. He spat on the floor and then quickly apologised to Joker and Morgana who shrugged off what he did. He felt sick to the stomach just looking at the marquee. But this is where he was going, so he stomached whatever was going to be shown to him. “Let’s go!”

“Uh, you’re just following since you don’t have a Persona,” Morgana stated. “But yeah, we don’t have a lot of time left. We have to hurry!” Again, Morgana doesn’t want to be imprisoned once more.

Akira led the group through the door where the closest spot was a balcony-level watching area of students getting hit from behind repeatedly. Morgana had situated himself on the table nearby as Akira and Ryuji watched the students’ abuse.

“This is bullshit!” Ryuji shouted. He clenched his fist and stomped on the ground twice in a row. He was mad and upset beyond any reason right now due to seeing the students get abused by a teacher.

“How many times do I have to tell you to keep your voice down?!” Morgana said in a lower tone of voice. He glared at Ryuji as he was getting fed up of repeating himself to this thug.

“This is beyond messed up!” Ryuji exclaimed. “Wait, how do we open this?” Ryuji started clanging the bars, making loud noises from where they were. He was stopped by Akira who had given him a death glare for making a ruckus.

Suddenly an injured student came by them. “Stop it… Leave us alone…. It’s useless…”

Another student came by. “If we stay obedient, we won’t be executed like you guys!”

“You’re tellin’ me you want to stay in a place like this?!” Ryuji shouted. He still gripped the bars with both hands that his knuckles were almost white.

“Wait a minute. Were you thinking of taking these guys out of here?” Morgana inquired dubiously.

“Well we can’t just leave ‘em here!” Ryuji answered.

  
“How stupid can you be?” Morgana asked with a slight sarcastic tone of concern. “These are only humans in Kamoshida’s cognition. They aren’t real humans that have entered from reality. They’re different from you two.

“Cognition?” Ryuji asked.

“Shut up and listen,” Akira told Ryuji, losing his patience for the blonde thug. He wasn’t sure when he even had the patience to listen to the nonsense Ryuji sprouts. Akira sighed heavily as he knew it would just go in one ear and out the other for Ryuji.

“It means there’s no point in saving them! They’re different from the ones in the real world!” Morgana shouted. “You could say that these are extremely similar-looking dolls.” Morgana was also losing his patience with the Blondie.

“The hell? Why’s it gotta be so complicated!” Ryuji exclaimed. “So the school’s a castle, and the students are slaves… It’s so on point that it makes me laugh. This really is the inside of that asshole’s head!”

Morgana hopped off the table and walked to the bars. “Still, this is horrible. It must mean he treats them as slaves in the real world too.” He was staring at the students just bending over and a Shadow was hitting the students from behind.

“In the real world too?” Ryuji said contemplatively. “Wait… I know these guys! They’re members of the volleyball team! The one Kamoshida coaches for!” Ryuji had that epic revelation happen to him, but Akira and Morgana didn’t look very impressed. He hung his head for a moment and then lifted it again.

“They must be physically abused every day…. There’s no way they’d be so beat up normally,” Morgana observed, with a sad tone in his voice. He continued to stare at the abuse until he turned around and looked up at Akira.

“That’s a load of bullshit,” Akira said aggressively. He would punish Kamoshida when he could. He couldn’t stand what Kamoshida was doing to fellow students. He wasn’t as pissed off as Ryuji, but he was pretty angry, too.

“They’re goin’ through this shit in reality too? Bullshit!” Ryuji shouted, clenching his fist and stomping his foot on the ground.

“Most likely. I mean, this proves that Kamoshida thinks of them as slaves,” Morgana answered.

“So this might be for real…” Ryuji said slowly, unclenching his fist. “I heard that Kamoshida’s usin’ physical punishment. They’re just rumours, but… If they’re true, wouldn’t this be somethin’ to report to the police? I’ll use these guys as evidence. If all goes well, we can take down that asshole Kamoshida!” Ryuji took out his phone and tried to access the camera, but it wouldn’t budge. “Huh? It’s not workin’?! We can use the navigation app, but the camera’s a no go?!”

“Navigation app?” Morgana asked curiously, looking between the two guys standing near him. Ryuji was still holding his phone in his hand. He wasn’t sure what this navigation app was, as he was able to just slip around the Metaverse, the reality that is different from where Akira and Ryuji came from.

“It’s how we get here,” Ryuji answered. “Anyway, what about you, Akira?” He glanced over to Akira with expectant eyes.

Akira took out his phone and navigated to the camera app. But the application refused to open. “Nope, no luck here,” Akira answered. He wondered why they were able to use the navigation application but not the phone function. ‘That’s just weird…’

“Whatever you do is fine, but we’re gonna get caught if we stand around like this. We need to head back!” Morgana commanded, jumping up once for emphasis. He wanted to hurry the other two, but mostly Ryuji who seemed fixated on the slaves.

“Hang on! There’s no other way, I’ll just memorise their faces before going home!” Ryuji announced as he stared into the first cell, Then he ran down the hallway to the next big cell. After a few moments, he ran to the last cell and stared into the to memorise their faces. Afterwards, Ryuji jogged back to Akira and Morgana. “And that’s done! Let’s get outta here.”

“Fucking finally,” Akira mumbled under his breath. He led the group out of the training hall and overheard Shadows discussing a breach in security around the training hall post and that they were to up the security levels. Akira hurried away from the door, running aside Morgana and Ryuji. Upon approaching the entrance hall, Akira noticed Kamoshida and a few guards were standing in wait.

“Shit, they caught up!” Ryuji grumbled, stomping his foot on the carpet. He was frustrated with Kamoshida but more importantly, he was more frustrated with Kamoshida. He wished he could do something to him already.

Akira and Morgana prepared for battle but in a sudden burst, Morgana was knocked down on the floor by one of the Shadows. He was still gripping his scimitar, but he lacked the strength to fight back. Akira drew out his dagger that materialised in his hand. He jumped at the Shadow, but the Shadow sidestepped away and struck Akira onto the ground.

“Ugh… There are more?” Morgana groaned. He attempted to get back up to his feet but Kamoshida stepped on the lower half of his body with one foot. Another Shadow stepped on Akira’s lower back, causing him to withdraw his dagger.

“I bet you simply came here on a whim and ended up like this. Isn’t that right?” Kamoshida sneered at Ryuji as he stepped over Morgana.

“No… Stop…” Ryuji said slowly, falling to his knees on the carpet. He felt completely helpless to Akira and Morgana. His hands dropped to his sides as he watched helplessly. “Stop it…!”

“What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly…” Kamoshida continued to sneer. “How dare you raise your hand at me. Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising the track practise?”

“Wasn’t no practise—it was physical abuse! You just didn’t like our team!” Ryuji fell forward, his arms on the ground and his head fallen over on the ground. He was pissed off but frustrated and helpless.

“It was nothing but an eyesore! The only one who needs to achieve results is me!” Kamoshida said with a devious look on his face. “That coach who got fired was hopeless too… Had he not opposed me with a sound argument, I would’ve settled it with only breaking his star’s leg.”

“What…” Ryuji said in shock, lifting his head up to stare at Kamoshida.

“Do you need me to break your other leg? The school will call it self-defence anyway, ha ha ha,” Kamoshida gave a dry laugh. He enjoyed taunting the “track traitor” and watching him squirm helplessly.

“Damnit… Am I gonna lose again?” Ryuji said hopelessly. “Not only can I not run anymore… the track team is gone too ‘cause of this asshole.” He was beyond hope on what to do and what he can do now.

“Once these two are dealt with, you’re next,” Kamoshida sneered.

“RyujI!” Morgana shouted.

“It’s not over yet, moron!” Akira shouted encouragingly.

“Everything that was important to me was taken by him… I’ll never get ‘em back!” Ryuji shouted as he lifted his head up again. He was more determined not to fail.

“Look on as these hopeless scums die for nothing because they sided with trash like you,” Kamoshida scoffed.

“No… That’s what you are…” Ryuji said as he slowly rose to his feet. “All you think about is using people… You’re the real scumbag, Kamoshida!” He shouted to Kamoshida while slowly walking to Kamoshida unsteadily.

A silhouette could be seen from a further part of the entrance hall and the silhouette was about to call forth their Persona when they noticed Ryuji rose to his feet and called off the summons. They smiled slightly as they watched the events unfold.

“What are you doing? Silence him!” Kamoshida demanded of his Shadows guards.

“Stop lookin’ down on me with that stupid smile on your face!” Ryuji shouted, pointing his index finger at Kamoshida. The moment he finished his sentence, Ryuji heard a voice in his head speak.

“You made me wait quite a while.”

Ryuji suddenly felt a sharp headache coming on as he clutched his head in pain. He started twisting around for a few moments before he collapsed to the floor with his hands still clutching his head and twisting around.

“You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc? The ‘other you’ who exists within desires it thus… I am thou, thou art I… There is no turning back! The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!” A mask with a skull design on it appeared suddenly on Ryuji’s face.

“Hmph. What can you do?” a Shadow guard stated.

Ryuji grabbed a hold of the mask on his face and ripped it off abruptly. A huge gust of wind blew around the entrance hall, blowing off the Shadows stepping on Akira and Kamoshida from Morgana. As the wind settled, a large Persona appeared. It had a skull for a head with a pirate hat, a blue top with two swords crossed in front of his chest, and black pants with a metal cuff on one thigh while riding on a black ship.

“Wassup, Persona!” Ryuji said smugly. “Let’s go, Captain Kidd!” Ryuji had also had his outfit changed into a black outfit with a red scarf, kneecaps coverings and yellow gloves. He stood proudly with his hands in front of him. He was going to take revenge now.

Akira and Morgana both got to their feet and turned to face Kamoshida. The Palace ruler snarled at the three. He then commanded one of the Shadows to attack the group. An Eligor showed up, it being covered in red armour with a cape and two long horns on its head. It was mounted on a grey horse with silver mane.

“Captain Kid! Zio!” Ryuji called out to his Persona. Captain Kidd materialised and with an outstretched arm, he casted the Zio spell. Electricity came out and struck Eligor in the chest. A bludgeon materialised in Ryuji’s hand as he ran up to Eligor and whacked it in the face.

Akira materialised his dagger again and ran up to Eligor. He slashed the Shadow Eligor before jumping backwards. The Shadow swiped in front but missed as Akira had jumped out of range. “Cleave!” Akira shouted as Arsène materialised. Arsène flew forward by a bit and with an arm, he slashed the Shadow horizontally.

“Garu!” Morgana shouted as the large Persona materialised in front of Morgana. The massive Persona waved its rapier around as a gust of wind was released and surrounding Eligor. The enemy Shadow flinched and stepped backwards as it got hit with the wind.

“Zio!” Ryuji called out. Captain Kidd materialised again and with an outstretched arm, he casted the electric spell on the enemy Shadow. Ryuji grabbed his bludgeon and ran ahead to the Shadow, then whacked it hard on its head. The Shadow started dissipating and disappeared into nothing. But suddenly, more enemies showed up and surrounded the three.

“We gotta get away!” Morgana shouted. “We’re outnumbered here.” Morgana dashed to the left of the crowd and toward the exit area. Akira and Ryuji ran after him as fast as they could. They reached the exit where Morgana was waiting for them. Ryuji and Akira were panting, trying to catch their breath.

“Whoa what was all that about?” Ryuji said, stupefied from what happened to them just now. He felt dazed. “Wait, when did I change into this? Do I look cool or what?” Ryuji suddenly had a smug expression on.

“No, you just look like a thug,” Akira replied quite bluntly. He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he said it, standing smugly. He didn’t really care how Ryuji looked, or even how Morgana looked, that strange cat.

“I told you, your appearance reflects your inner self. It’s the rebel that slumbers within,” Morgana explained. “Not that you’d understand.” Morgana sighed at Ryuji’s stupidity. He wondered how that boy got around the world as stupid as that.

“Nope,” Ryuji bowed his head for a second or two before lifting it back up. “Not at all.” He couldn’t pretend to understand what Morgana just said, something about appearance and rebels. It must have something to do with the cognition of this world.

“Then stop asking questions and accept what you see for what it is,” Morgana said aggressively, jumping up once. He didn’t want to waste time trying to explain something to someone so hopeless.

“Oh crap! We’re in deep shit!” Ryuji yelled loudly.

“I said quiet!” Morgana said in an elevated tone of voice. He glared at Ryuji for constantly ignoring his request for Ryuji’s habit of shouting too loud that will attract the Shadows’ attention and expose themselves.

“We might’ve gotten away here, but we’re still screwed with Kamoshida at the real school…” Ryuji said slowly, in a shock at his realisation.

“That’s quite sharp of you! …For being an idiot,” Morgana said bluntly. He scoffed at Ryuji. “Relax. The Kamoshida in reality can’t possibly know about what happens here. A Shadow is the true self that is suppressed—a side of one’s personality they don’t want to see.”

“So we’re okay?”

“Did you listen, moron? Yes, we’re fine right now,” Akira replied for Morgana. He was getting a slight headache just dealing with Ryuji. And he’s been dealing with him for a while now. He had enough of Ryuji right about now and is prepared to return home to relax alone. He didn’t want to deal with other people or attempt to form relationships with them, because he felt they’d just abandon him like his former friends in his hometown.

“So now we just gotta—” Ryuji started to say when he was interrupted by Morgana.

“Wait. I guided you as promised. It’s your turn to cooperate with me. That’s why I was super nice about teaching you idiots everything,” Morgana interrupted, looking up at both two guys who simply looked confused.

“Cooperate for what?” Ryuji asked curiously. He didn’t have any plans to help out Morgana but felt he should ask first.

“Remember I’m on an investigation? I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my real form! That’s why we must delve deep into Mementos and—” Morgana started to say when he himself was interrupted.

“Hold up,” Ryuji interrupted. “I never said anything about helping you.” Ryuji was being quite blunt for himself. He had no plans to help the cat though the cat was pretty useful in guiding him to the slaves. “Did you have any plans to help Morgana here?”

“Nope,” Akira shook his head, his hands still tucked in his pockets.

“What are you doing?! I had all these plans and especially you! You were going to be an essential part of it!” Morgana said aggressively, jumping up and down.

“See,” Ryuji nodded. “Well, thanks for everything, cat. You did well for a cat.” Then Ryuji dashed out of the Palace with Akira following along to exit the Palace.

“Hey! What the hell! Ugh, seriously?! Why’re you wrapping this up like everything’s all hunky-dory?!” Morgana growled. “Oh hell no! Get back here! Grr…. GRAAAGGGHHH!”

“You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.”

“Oh thank god we made it back,” Ryuji said, panting for a bit. “Sorry, I dragged you around a lot. I’m really sorry.” Ryuji turned to face Akira so his apology had some more impact. “Ugh, I’m dead tired. How you holdin’ up?”

“Eh, I’m fine,” Akira shrugged as he stood perfectly fine and checked his breathing. It was normal already.

“This is going to get good,” Ryuji grinned. “Once we make ‘em fess up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done. So… wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?”  
  


“No,” Akira cut in abruptly. He had no reason to dally around hunting down other students. He had his own things to do, not help out with this crazy Samaritan act. He didn’t understand why Ryuji was so adamant about the physical abuse at the hand of Kamoshida. It’s a bad thing but he was a bit too attached.

“Aw man, please man!” Ryuji pleaded with Akira. “I mean, if you’re thinkin’ of layin’ low ‘cause you got a record, I don’t think that’ll help… Everyone already knows. They totally got you pegged as a criminal.”

“How the fuck?” Akira cursed. He let his anger get to him, just this once, at least ever since he was expelled and practically exiled from his hometown. He lost everything and everyone before. Now he’s going to lose everyone here too? ‘Wait… everyone? I don’t even have anyone here…’ Then his mind pulled a flashback of Sumire and her goofy smile and seemingly perpetual blush. Akira shook his head rapidly, trying to shake off the thoughts of Sumire. ‘I don’t have her, not at all.’

“Kamoshida opened his damn mouth!” Ryuji yelped. “No one else besides a teacher could’ve leaked it that fast! It doesn’t matter if it’s a student or a club; that asshole just wrecks things he doesn’t agree with. Just like he did with me! No one’ll take anything I say seriously. Still, those rumours about him getting physical might be real now. And after seein’ Kamoshida’s distorted-heart thing in person, there’s no way I can just sit back!”

“I see,” Akira stated plainly. “I get you, but I’m not sure I’ll take you along.”

“Please take me along!” Ryuji pleaded.

“I’ll think about it,” Akira said. “I’m leaving now.” Akira turned around and exited the area, leaving Ryuji hanging in the alleyway. Ryuji started chasing after Akira and finally grabbed a hold of Akira’s arm.

“Wait! What’s your chat ID?” Ryuji panted as he stopped running. “Just so it’s easier to communicate, you know.”

“Meh,” Akira shrugged and gave him his chat ID. “Well, see you around.” Akira went to the subway station and took the train to Shibuya where he transferred for his train to Aoyama-Itchome.


	4. Let's Punish The King

As Akira was heading home, two female students were sitting on a bench in the courtyard. They had been chatting quite lively until Shiho, the girl with a ponytail and a brace on her knee and part of her leg, became silent for a few moments.

“I…” Shiho started to say. “I haven’t been able to sleep well lately. I just get a lot of thoughts in my head whenever I close my eyes.

The ashen blonde named Ann said slowly and comfortingly, “Shiho…”

“Nationals are coming up so I keep thinking… Should someone like me really be on the starting lineup?” Shiho looked downcast.

“Come on, cheer up! Be more confident with yourself!” Ann said encouragingly. “You worked this hard yourself, so you’re finally getting the recognition you deserve!” She tried putting a smile for her best friend.

“Yeah… Volleyball’s all I have, after all,” Shiho said, still looking downcast and then looked up to face her best friend Ann. She knew what Ann was going through, what with the rumours of being with Kamoshida and everything.

“More importantly, is that injury okay? It looks really swollen…” Ann said, trailing off. She was concerned her best friend was overworking herself. She also heard rumours about physical abuse of the volleyball team, but she didn’t know how true they were.

“No, nothing at all. It’s normal, especially with a meet coming up,” Shiho said, looking downward again. She knew what the injury was from and why, she wasn’t doing as good as she should be. Kamoshida didn’t have much patience with the volleyball team members.

“Sorry to interrupt,” a raven-haired boy came up to the two best friends. “But Mr. Kamoshida told me to come get you.”

“H-Huh? What does he want me for…?” Shiho said hesitantly.

“He didn’t say,” the raven-haired boy replied meekly, looking away from the girls.

“Ann, I…” Shiho said hesitantly, avoiding the look of her best friend. She was silent for a while, which led Ann to be silent as well for a bit.

“It’ll be fine! I bet it’s a meeting for the starting lineup or something like that!” Ann said optimistically.

“….Yeah,” Shiho said, trying to sound optimistic. She rose up from the bench. “Well, I better go now.” She left her best friend to head back into the school building with the raven-haired boy following behind Shiho.

Back in Yongen-Jaya, Akira finally reached his home in Leblanc. He swung open the door to see Sojiro sitting on the stool. He looked up at Akira as Akira entered the café as he threw aside his newspaper onto the counter.

“So you’re home,” Sojiro said brusquely. “I take it you actually went to school today.” He didn’t get another call from the school, so he assumed Akira to have gone to school. Neither did he receive any cops report about him skipping school.

“Of course I did,” Akira scoffed.

“You should know your life right now is not a free one,” Sojiro warned. “Don’t cause any unnecessary trouble and you’ll be good.” He got off the stool and looked over Akira.

“Uh huh…” Akira simply nodded in acknowledgement. He knew what was going to be said, so he stifled an incoming yawn. It would be rude to yawn in front of Sojiro in the middle of his lectures. He would receive another set of lectures had he yawned. He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he listened to Sojiro drone on.

“And don’t get involved with bad influences,” Sojiro added. “Anyway, I’m going to head home for tonight. I’ll be locking up so don’t go wandering around outside.” Sojiro left the café and locked the door before returning to his own house.

Akira shrugged and trudged through the stairs to the attic that is his room. He changed into his beige shirt and dark green sweatpants and flopped on his bed. He browsed his phone for any news when he got a message from Ryuji.

_Ryuji: Hey, I decided to go ahead and message you._

_Ryuji: Can you see this?_

_Akira: Who’s this?_

_Ryuji: It’s Ryuji, man!_

_Ryuji: I’m gonna be counting on you tomorrow, OK?_

_Akira: What about?_

_Ryuji: C’mon, don’t play dumb…_

_Ryuji: We’ve come this far, so you gotta stick with me to the end._

_Ryuji: Let’s save those guys who’ve been getting abused. You and me._

Akira sighed. He did not sign up for this charity work. Now he’s getting dragged around school investigating the slaves from the castle. Akira did not want to do that. He might find something else, maybe he’ll look up Sumire and check with her. ‘Anything better than going around talking to other students,’ Akira thought internally. As Akira’s thoughts started losing focus, he felt his eyes getting droopy and soon fell asleep.

Then Akira awoke inside the cell from before. He remembered what it was, it was the Velvet Room. He was in his black and white striped prisoner outfit. He still had the chains on his wrists and the heavy ball chained to his foot. He got out of the cot and walked to the bars. He was right: it was the Velvet Room. Igor was sitting at his desk while the twins were standing at his cell.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room,” Igor said. “I thought about resuming our conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you. What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?”

“Don’t be stupid,” Akira answered bluntly. He was just being honest, though he hardly knew who Igor was or why he summoned Akira twice by now.

“You’ve got some nerve, Inmate!” Caroline said as she hit the bars with her taser.

Igor chuckled. “I imagine you have many reservations about returning here from your joyous, everyday life. However, it will be problematic if you do not become accustomed to this. The goal of your rehabilitation is to thwart the fated ruin. However, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery. That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships. It must not be of frivolity, but a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strength. In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well.”

“Personas are the strength of the heart,” Justine said. “The stronger the bonds that surround you, the more power your Personas will gain.”

“There are countless people in the city who have talents that a weakling like you doesn’t,” Caroline said. “You better rack that noggin of yours and get them on your side. We’ll change that into power.”

“Indeed. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition,” Igor chuckled. “We have a deal then.”

Suddenly Akira felt something ring in his head, something unlike the voices he usually heard.

_I am thou, thou art i…_

_Thou hast acquired a new vow,_

_It shall become the wings of rebellion_

_That breaketh thy chains of captivity._

_With the birth of the Fool Arcana,_

_I have obtained the winds of blessing that_

_Shall lead to freedom and new power…_

“Well, you will understand everything in due time… Continue devoting yourself to your rehabilitation.”

“Now, this conversation’s over! Get lost, Inmate!” Caroline shooed Akira away.

In the morning, Akira jolted up and shook his head. ‘More rehabilitation… bonding with people? What a drag. I don’t want to bond with anyone. I don’t need anyone.’ Then Akira changed into his school uniform and headed to school. On the way, Akira heard other students talking about the volleyball rally. Akira rolled his eyes. He knew what was at play now: Kamoshida.

“Okay everyone,” Kawakami announced. “As you all know, today is the volleyball rally. Head to the gymnasium once you’ve changed. Got it?”

Akira went to the restroom and changed into his gym clothes, which were red with white strips on the sides and a white shirt underneath, tucked by the pants. He went to the gymnasium as instructed, as to avoid any more ‘trouble’ he may cause. Akira chuckled and entered the gymnasium.

It was a match of teachers versus students, with Kamoshida obviously part of the teacher team. He kept getting strikes and high fived the other teachers for every victory match. Then at one match, Kamoshida spiked the ball and it struck Mishima on the face. Kamoshida waited a bit before lifting up the net to check on Mishima.

“Hey, someone get him to the nurse’s office!” Kamoshida shouted. He lifted Mishima up by a bit while another student took a hold of the raven-haired boy. He was escorted out of the rally while Kamoshida returned to the teacher’s side of the court.

Akira yawned as he watched the matches. He looked around the gymnasium and noticed Sumire was sitting at a corner by herself. It must have to do with those rumours about her. He felt sympathetic to her—and that realisation shocked Akira. He never thought he’d feel something for anyone since he lived in his hometown.

As the match ended, Akira stood up and walked over to Sumire before she walked away. He walked briskly toward the redhead and the moment he reached Sumire, he grabbed her arm. “Sumire.”

Sumire turned around, a bit startled at being called by name. She realised Akira had a grip on her arm and was a bit nervous about it. She wondered if she’d done something wrong or offensive to Akira. “H-Huh? Oh, A-Akira-senpai. Hello there.” A light blush formed on her face as she looked up at Akira. “What brings you here?”

“I was just checking on you,” Akira replied honestly. He wasn’t sure why he wanted to check on her. Maybe it was his guilty conscience after refusing to have her tag along. But that time was critical, he can’t just go bringing in innocent civilians into the Palace.

“O-Oh,” Sumire nodded slowly. “U-Um… I’m okay.” She looked downcast as her head bowed down, staring at the floor. She felt meek again, as no one tried to speak to her before, so she didn’t know how to react or what to say.

“Are the rumours bothering you?” Akira asked. Akira realised they were still in the gymnasium with the other students, who would begin to gossip if they stayed there. “Oh, we should talk somewhere else.” He grabbed Sumire by the wrist and led her to the rooftop as before. Sumire followed obediently, letting herself be led to the rooftop. As they reached the rooftop, Akira released her wrist. “Sorry about that. So, are they bothering you?”

Sumire looked up at Akira again and then hung her head down again. “Um… Well, yes. They won’t stop…” Sumire said, trailing off on her sentence. She wasn’t sure why she was confiding in Akira. She held her right arm with her left hand as she leaned to the side. Sumire thought she should tell Akira about following him into the Palace and listening to their conversation. ‘He might get mad at me though… and I’d rather not risk it after he approached me with such concern.’

“What exactly happened?” Akira asked, out of concern. He was worried for Sumire, which surprised him because he never thought he’d be concerned for another human being again.

“U-Um… They’ve just been saying I shouldn’t be here… How I killed my sister, but that’s nothing new…” Sumire answered despondently, head hung low. She felt terrible after remembering what they were gossiping about again.

“I’m sorry…” Akira said apologetically. He avoided Sumire’s glance as he didn’t know what else he could say. “You know, I’m sure those rumours are also false. Just like you said about mine.” He tried to encourage her.

“Oh no! I-It’s fine,” Sumire said, raising her head up while waving her arms around in a gesture to say it was nothing to worry about. “Don’t worry about it… I’m used to it.”

“That’s not good, Sumire,” Akira said. “You shouldn’t be used to something like that.” Akira was concerned for Sumire’s mental health.

“It’s f-fine, really, senpai,” Sumire avoided looking at Akira by focusing her attention on the rooftop floor.

“Hey…” Akira started to say. “Have you…” He realised she might not like being called out for what she was doing. He detected her presence in the Palace and saw her silhouette around the time Ryuji woke to his Persona.

“Yes?” Sumire asked curiously, looking up at Akira. “W-What is it?” She was nervous about what Akira wanted to ask. She dropped her hands and twiddled with her thumbs.

“Have you been sleeping okay?” Akira asked. He decided not to confront Sumire about the following. Maybe if it continued then, since it’d be more dangerous for her running around alone in the Palace.

“H-Huh…” Sumire was caught off guard, thinking she was going to be asked if she was following him. “Um… I think so,” she answered slowly. She wasn’t sure how to answer it, but she was as honest as she thought she was being. “Um, Akira-senpai…”

“Yes?” Akira looked at Sumire curiously. ‘Maybe she’s going to come clean about it without me confronting her,’ Akira thought. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. That was when the bell rang and the announcement came on to tell the students to prepare to return home. “Well… How about we exchange chat IDs?”

“O-Oh!” Sumire exclaimed. “Yeah, I’d like to.” Sumire took out her phone. With that, Akira and Sumire exchanged their chat IDs. “Um… I’ll talk to you soon then.” Sumire got up and exited the rooftop, leaving Akira sitting there before he, too, left.

* * *

The next morning came and after the classes were over, Ann Takamaki and Shiho were seated at the bench by the vending machines in the courtyard. The two were chatting about various topics when Ann brought up volleyball.

“Shouldn’t you be heading to volleyball?” Ann asked, out of concern for her best friend. She knew Shiho loved volleyball, so she was curious why Shiho wasn’t going straight to practise.

“Yeah…” Shiho said, looking downcast and staring at the tiled floor. She had a bruise over her left eye that was fresh and she knew her best friend would notice.

“That bruise over your eye… was it from practise, too?” Ann asked.

“Mhm…” Shiho nodded silently.

“Are you sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard?” Ann inquired, full concern in her voice.

“I’ll be okay. Volleyball’s the only thing I can do right,” Shiho answered. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for worrying, Ann.”

Then suddenly Ann’s phone went off, but she chose to ignore it. She guessed it was going to be Kamoshida asking for some filthy favour or something. She didn’t want to answer Kamoshida, especially with her best friend’s condition right now. It was either him or her part-time job.

“Shouldn’t you answer that?” Shiho asked, looking at her best friend who just ignored the phone call.

  
“It’s probably just my part-time job… I think,” Ann replied. “Don’t worry about it.” She nodded at Shiho. She was more worried about her friend than Kamoshida or her part-time job.

“I…should get going,” Shiho finally said, still staring at the tiled floor. She didn’t really want to go to practise because of what usually happens there. Her head hung low as she stared and counted the number of tiles. She counted ten tiles so far.

“Shiho…” Ann said slowly. “Are you sure you’re okay?” She was very worried about her best friend now. She didn’t seem like herself, even when it came to volleyball. She thought something happened, but she didn’t want to push the issue.

“Mhm,” Shiho nodded as she got up and left the courtyard.

Ann stood up and picked up her phone. “Yes? Today won’t work… I’m…I’m not feeling so good. Sorry… Bye.” Then Ann left the courtyard as two male students entered the same area Ann was just in.

“Wasn’t that Takamaki?” one male student asked his friend.

“Rumour has it she’s dating Kamoshida,” the other student answered.

“Seriously?” the first student said.

“I heard people saw them in his car together,” the other student replied.

“You know… she seems pretty easy, huh? You think I’d have a chance, too?” the first student asked smugly.

“C’mon dude, you can’t go after Kamoshida’s bitch!” the other student said.

Akira was seen in the hallway going out to the courtyard when a black-haired girl in a ponytail stood in front of the doors. She was silent while staring at her phone before she put away her phone and looked up at Akira.

“What?” Shiho asked. “Oh… I’m in the way, aren’t I? Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Akira shrugged. He figured she was just lost in her thoughts and that happened to everyone.

“I really am sorry. I must have spaced out…” Shiho said. “You don’t look familiar. Could you be that transfer student from Class D?”

“Yeah, what of it?” Akira replied. He didn’t really know who she was, but it seems she’s heard of him. Then again, who hasn’t because of Kamoshida.

“Um, it’s probably none of my business, but don’t let the rumours get to you, okay?” Shiho said seriously to Akira.

“Yeah,” Akira nodded. He never did let it get to him anyway, so he didn’t need a stranger telling him that. But the girl here looked pretty bruised, he wouldn’t be surprised if she was part of the volleyball team.

“Good, that would be for the best,” Shiho nodded. “My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks… Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to drag on like that. Anyway, I have to go to practise. I’ll see you around.”

Akira walked through the passageways to reach the area with the vending machines and also where Ryuji was waiting. He was staring out the courtyard, not aware of Akira arriving yet. He had his fists clenched. Then he turned around to see Akira. “Damnit. What the hell,” was all Ryuji said as Akira approached.

“Did you find someone?” Akira asked sarcastically. He knew Ryuji was stuck considering he was cursing right before Akira arrived. He shrugged and stood by the table across from Ryuji.

“Is that what it looks like?” Ryuji responded in kind. He punched one of the vending machines. “All of ‘em kept sayin’ the same shit Mishima was talkin’ about! Kamoshida must have told ‘em something! At this rate, looks like we’ll have to go to him directly.”

“There’s no point,” Akira said solemnly. He was being honest, not trying to hurt Ryuji. He just felt there was no point in going directly to Kamoshida.

“I know…” Ryuji said disappointedly. “But seriously, isn’t there something we can do? I can’t give in like this! Can you think of something?”

“Maybe call the cops,” Akira said the first thing from the top of his mind.

“You wanna tell ‘em about the castle? They’d never believe us,” Ryuji replied. “Any other ideas?”

“How about a sneak attack?” Akira proffered another option.

“That’d be fine if we could do it without getting’ caught, but if we did, we’d seriously be done for,” Ryuji shook his head. “What else can we do?”

“Let’s punish the king,” Akira said, finally connecting the other world with this. If they punish the king there, something should happen here.

“The king? You mean that other world’s Kamoshida?” Ryuji asked, rubbing his head with one hand. “I didn’t think of that, but is there any meaning to—”

“I finally found you!” A familiar voice called out to them.

Akira and Ryuji looked around the area, but they didn’t see anyone approaching them, let alone a cat walking toward the table. Akira gave up looking for someone and just glanced at Ryuji.

“You say something?” Ryuji asked Akira.

“Not at all,” Akira responded. He did hear someone approach, but it was very quiet. It was almost like a small animal had come in here.

“Don’t think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you,” a black cat said as it suddenly jumped onto the table, looking back at Akira and then Ryuji.

“Whoa, is that Morgana?!” Ryuji stared at the cat in disbelief. He could not believe Morgana actually came over to this world. He thought Morgana was pretty much stuck in the other one. But he also didn’t understand the other world.

Morgana shook his head. “How dare you, up and leaving me the other day!” Morgana closed his eyes as he said it. He was disappointed and hurt for being abandoned like that, that day.

“The cat’s talkin’!” Ryuji exclaimed loudly. He was shocked that a cat was speaking. He wasn’t that dumb to know animals didn’t talk.

“I am NOT a cat! This is just what happened when I came to this world!” Morgana shouted. “It was a lot of trouble finding you two.” Morgana was not about to be brushed aside now that he found his intended targets.

“Wait, you came to our world?” Ryuji asked, flabbergasted. “Does that mean you’ve got a phone?!” He went with the direct thought. It only made sense since that’s how they entered that other world.

“You don’t need one when you’re at my level,” Morgana said proudly. Then he added, “I did get pretty lost making my escape though.” It was a struggle traveling through Tokyo in search of Akira’s school. He had gotten into weird corners and alleyways to lead into dead ends. Then he had to avoid people who might snatch him up because he had a cat form.

“That aside, why can you talk?! You’re a cat!” Ryuji shouted at Morgana, stomping the ground with one foot.

“Oh shut up, Ryuji,” Akira sighed, rubbing his temples. “Quit being so loud. Someone might hear us, you know.” He was getting fed up with dealing with Ryuji. He didn’t understand why he was dealing with this bullshit.

“Ouch, man!” Ryuji flinched. He was a bit hurt and insulted. He may be an idiot, but he thought he knew the volume of his voice. Yet he kept being told to be quiet.

“How should I know?” Morgana countered. Morgana really didn’t know why he was transformed into a cat but a talking cat for that matter when he entered this world.

“You hearin’ this too?” Ryuji asked Akira, looking at Akira for any support. But he probably shouldn’t expect anything like that considering Akira was so abrasive. Ryuji sighed, expecting to be disappointed with Akira’s response.

“Meow,” Akira mockingly responded to Ryuji. He even made a change in his voice just for that. Akira thought that was pretty clever, but he doubted the others would understand.

“This is no time to be jokin’ around!” Ryuji shouted, stomping his foot on the ground. He should’ve known Akira would respond with something like that.

“I heard you guys were having a rough time. I heard you mention something about witnesses,” Morgana said. He did not bother hiding the fact that he was tailing them and eavesdropping on their conversations.

“Oh, shuddup,” Ryuji casually put down Morgana.

“You know, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do with Kamoshida,” Morgana said cheerfully. “You were pretty close just a moment ago.” He was feeling smug. He was really willing to teach them a few more things if they cooperated with him.

“This condescendin’ attitude must be Morgana!” Ryuji shouted, stomping his foot on the ground.

“No shit,” Akira said condescendingly. “He spoke and acted like Morgana all along.” It was pretty obvious it was Morgana after the cat spoke. But this is Ryuji so he’d take longer to get on things.

“You were still doubting me?” Morgana asked. He couldn’t believe Ryuji was that dumb to not realised it was him, Morgana, all along. There was no way any other cats would be able to speak.

“Be quiet!” Ryuji said in a quiet voice, which surprised Akira that Ryuji had a quiet voice. Ryuji stared down at Morgana and then up through the passageways.

“Do we really have time to be looking for a cat?” a disciplinary committee teacher said.

“I just heard a meow somewhere nearby. Did you hear it?” the other disciplinary committee teacher.

“Check every nook and cranny around for the cat,” the other teacher instructed.

“Meow? Does that mean only the two of us can understand what you’re sayin’?” Ryuji asked. He was starting to understand a bit more. At least, Ryuji thought he did.

“Seems that way,” Akira responded. He was curious how Morgana came into this world, especially if he didn’t need a phone to get here. If Morgana didn’t need a phone, he must be pretty special. Akira stuffed his hands into his pockets as he listened on.

“What the hell’s goin’ on?” Ryuji said confusedly. “Anyways, what you were talkin’ about earlier… is it for real?” He was getting his hopes up for how to deal with Kamoshida. That bastard was going to be punished.

“You’re quite the skeptic for being an idiot,” Morgana said disappointedly. He sighed. ‘What gives this idiot a Persona?’ Morgana thought to himself. He looked over at Akira. ‘Now that one is more promising even if he’s blunt. But he is very promising…’

“Tell us more,” Ryuji said. “Wait, this ain’t the right place…” Ryuji suddenly grabbed Morgana by the yellow collar around his neck and swung it toward Akira. “Here, stick it in your bag for now! It should be small enough to fit!”

Akira stared at Ryuji. “I don’t take commands, but just this once, I’ll do it.”

“Hey don’t treat me like—” Morgana struggled.

Akira grabbed Morgana and stuffed him into his schoolbag. It fit Morgana snugly and the two of them moved to the rooftop. They moved carefully and stealthily to the staircase, just in case anyone saw them in the courtyard. Once there, Akira simply tossed the bag onto the floor while Morgana crawled out.

“Don’t treat me so poorly!” Morgana protested. He had crawled out of Akira’s bookbag and yelped after his treatment by Ryuji. He did not appreciate being grabbed by his collar. He shook his fur to ease up on the grabbing he received.

“Shuddup, what were you saying earlier? Something we can do with Kamoshida?” Ryuji inquired. He wanted more information on how to deal with Kamoshida. It seemed the only option was using the other world.

“It has to do with what Akira was saying. You’ll need to attack his castle,” Morgana explained. “If you remember, that castle is how Kamoshida views this school. He doesn’t know what happens there, but it’s deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida.”

“What would happen?” Ryuji asked, listening intently to what Morgana would have to say.

“A Palace is a manifestation of a person’s distorted desires. So, if that castle were no more…” Morgana started to say, trailing off intentionally. He wanted to see if anyone else would be able to continue his sentence.

“His desires would go too,” Akira continued the explanation. It was quite obvious, following what Morgana said. ‘So that’s how you can punish the king…’ Akira thought. ‘I want to go back into the Palace already.’

“Precisely! You pick up things fast!” Morgana said proudly. He jumped up and then sat on the floor again. He was impressed but not surprised that Akira would understand what was being said.

“For real? H-He’s gonna turn good?!” Ryuji exclaimed. “But is that gettin’ back at him?” He wasn’t certain he could believe how good it’d be. It seemed too good to be true.

“Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the ruler to have a change of heart,” Morgana said. “However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed stay. Kamoshida will be unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he’ll confess them himself!”

“For real?!” Ryuji responds with surprise in his voice. He was impressed at that concept. He definitely would want to punish the king this way, if that’s all it took.

“And since the Palace will longer exist, he’ll forget what we did there as well,” Morgana continued. “Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won’t be a trace of our involvement.”

“Wow! You’re an incredible cat!” Ryuji praised Morgana. He was impressed with the cat for his theories or explanations. He definitely wanted to punish the king now.

“True, except for the cat part!” Morgana said smugly. He was pleased with his explanation being accepted even by the moron Ryuji. He knew Akira would understand, naturally. But he was definitely not a cat, even if he looked like one right now.

“So how do we get rid of the Palace?” Ryuji asked enthusiastically. He seemed to need to be instructed on what to do step-by-step. But he was enthusiastic about this plan.

“By stealing the Treasure held within,” Morgana said.

“Stealing…?” Ryuji asked hesitantly. He wasn’t certain he was on board with this, even if no one can trace the act back to them. He didn’t like stealing no matter how much people talk about him being a thug.

“I’ll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It’s my most valuable, secret plan, after all,” Morgana stated. “If you want to help me out, I’ll gladly teach you. What’s your call?” Morgana looked between Akira and Ryuji, where Ryuji looked indecisive, but Akira looked pretty determined. He only hoped Akira was determined to join the plan.

“We don’t have any luck finding witnesses, so there is no other choice…” Ryuji said despondently. He didn’t like the idea of stealing something no matter what it is or from whom.

“I’m down for the plan,” Akira nodded. ‘Hell, it’s better than watching Ryuji run around asking about the physical abuse. He better not flinch from this.’

“Good…” Morgana started to say. “Oh, right. There’s another thing I should tell you. If we erase a Palace, there is no doubt the person’s distorted desires will go too. But desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to eat, sleep, fall in love—those kinds of things.”

  
“What are you getting at?” Ryuji asked. He wasn’t certain what it meant. ‘Does Kamoshida lose all desires or something?’ Ryuji thought.

“If all those things were to vanish, they’d be no different than someone who has shut down completely. They may even die if they’re not given proper care,” Morgana warned. “So…”

“They might die?!” Ryuji exclaimed in shock. He didn’t want to be a murderer no matter what and no matter how bad Kamoshida was. He didn’t think the guy deserved death even after all he’s done.

“Will you listen to everything I have to say first?” Morgana countered, jumping up in place. He did not appreciate Ryuji interrupting and panicking before he could finish speaking.

“Calm the fuck down, Ryuji,” Akira said impatiently. His headache was getting worse with Ryuji’s stupidity. He rubbed his temples again with one hand again. He can’t deal with Ryuji any longer.

“Would we be responsible for their death?” Ryuji asked in a panic, looking around worriedly. He didn’t want a murder on his hands.

“Aren’t you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?” Morgana asked. He didn’t understand why Ryuji was suddenly stepping back from the plan after mentioning that the Palace ruler may die after its desires were removed.

  
“What do you think?” Ryuji asked Akira, looking at the other boy. He wanted to know what Akira felt about the entire situation. He hoped Akira would agree with him.

“I’m down for it,” Akira replied smugly. He was definitely very interested in Morgana’s plan. He could go with Morgana right now, even if Ryuji wasn’t up for it. He felt he could just go into the Palace with just Morgana if it came down to it. There was also Sumire if he was correct that she’d awakened to her Persona.

“For real?!” Ryuji shouted in shock. He could not believe Akira said he was down to killing someone else. Kamoshida was an asshole, yes, but Ryuji didn’t think even an asshole deserved to die.

“Sheesh… I come all this way, and this is what I get. It’s not like anyone will ever find out,” Morgana stated. Morgana had no choice but to leave them for a while. But he intended to follow them around to see when they’d change their minds.

“That’s not the point, man!” Ryuji exclaimed. “If we go around secretly doin’ whatever we want, we’d be no better than that effin’ Kamoshida…”

“You’re weak,” Akira said bluntly. He might not take Ryuji into the Palace anymore. He didn’t mind if they ended up killing Kamoshida; he probably deserved it, considering all the abuse he’s inflicted.

“Isn’t this your only option?” Morgana asked. “I’ll come back later. Make sure you’ve made your decision by then.” Morgana turned around and left the rooftop.

“Damnit. We were gettin’ all worked up for nothing. I’ll try and see if I can figure out another way. C’mon, let’s get outta here,” Ryuji said, with a despondent expression on his face as he departed the rooftop as well.

Akira departed the school building but right at the entrance, he received a message. He pulled up his phone and saw it was from Ryuji. Akira groaned as he opened the chat.

_Ryuji: Yo, some of the guys in my class have been talking._

_Ryuji: About that Suzui girl… Looks like rumours are going around her and Kamoshida._

_Ryuji: If they’re true, it’s no wonder I couldn’t get her to talk._

_Ryuji: Still, something about that doesn’t seem right._

_Akira: Stop texting me._

_Ryuji: Listen to me, man! It’s just impossible._

_Ryuji: I’ve known Takamaki and Suzui since middle school._

_Ryuji: There’s no way Kamoshida’s their type, y’know._

_Ryuji: So I gotta wonder where those rumours came from._

_Ryuji: I guess we’ll get to it tomorrow. Bye!_

Akira sighed. He would never get Ryuji to understand that they weren’t friends. Now Ryuji’s messaging him whenever Ryuji wants. Akira sighed again and headed to the train station. He went straight home and opened the door, only to find Sojiro sitting on the stool with a newspaper and pen in his hand.

“You’re late. Where have you been?” Sojiro questioned.

“I…got lost,” Akira lied. He couldn’t say he was on the rooftop with some people, or more like a person and a cat. He couldn’t think of any witty excuses to give this time.

“Is that supposed to be an excuse? How directionally challenged can you be?” Sojiro lectured. “By the way, have you been hanging around bad influences?”

“Definitely not,” Akira answered. He was partially honest. He may have been talking with Ryuji and Morgana, but it’s not like they were friends or anything. Especially not Ryuji. Morgana makes for a good companion in the other world.

“All right then,” Sojiro said. “Even if you do hang with people, make sure you don’t choose someone who’ll ruin your life,” Sojiro yawned. “Look at the time. Seriously, think about how I feel having to stay up here waiting for you.”

Akira started walking toward the attic when Sojiro called out to him. “Hey, I’m leaving. In the future, try not to come back so damn late. Understood?”

Akira went upstairs and changed into his bedtime clothes. He was about to head to bed when his phone’s ringtone rang through. He checked it and it was only a message from Ryuji. He ignored it and retired to bed.


	5. Re-Enter the Metaverse

“So I assume all of you know about the separation of powers? There are three branches in our government. The National Diet is legislative, the Cabinet is executive, and the Supreme Court is judiciary. This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures that no one branch becomes unstoppable,” instructor Ushimaru lectured on.

“Have you decided?” Morgana suddenly popped his head out from Akira’s desk. “No matter how much thinking you do, there’s only one option. You’d be better off just listening to me.” It was a bit cramp inside the desk, but he felt he had to try to recruit his most promising human.

“Quiet!” Akira chided Morgana quietly. He may have a record, but he didn’t need to get in trouble for having a cat in his desk. Not like he snuck the cat into the desk after all. But regardless, he did not need a cat around him either.

“Did I just hear a cat?” Ushimaru questioned the class. The class, in return, looked around the classroom for a cat. Morgana panicked and withdrew into Akira’s desk despite his own discomfort.

“Could that rumoured cat be somewhere nearby? Hey! Quiet! We’re in the middle of an important lecture!” Ushimaru shouted.

That was when Akira’s phone vibrated and he checked, only to see it was from Ryuji. He groaned and clicked into the chat.

_Ryuji: It’s no use. I can’t think of any other way.  
Akira: Concentrate on class.  
Ryuji: I can’t deal with that shit right now. What are we going to do about Kamoshida? Do we just gotta go along with that cat’s plan?  
Ryuji: Ugh, that damn furball._

“If he knew I was reading this too,” Morgana said with a sigh. He couldn’t handle Ryuji sometimes. His plan was perfect. But he couldn’t do it alone. ‘That monkey head…’ Morgana thought.

That was when a male student by the window stood up. “Hey look! What is that?!”

“Enough! This is a classroom!” Ushimaru scolded the class in a raised tone of voice.

“Whoa, she’s going to jump!”

“Suzui…?” Mishima muttered under his breath. 

The classroom became rowdy after that as some students started getting up from their seats. Ann had also risen from her seat with a shocked expression on her face. She looked pale; her face drained of blood.

“Shiho…?” Ann said slowly.

“Stay in your seats! Do not step outside the classroom!” Ushimaru tried to gain some semblance of control of the situation. But it was not working, as the students were still rowdy and attempting to leave the classroom.

Ann dashed out of the classroom and ran to a window. Akira ran after Ann to the window as well. Shiho was seen standing by the ledge of the building rooftop, an empty expression on her face as she stared downward. Then Shiho jumped from the ledge, causing Ann to become paler and wordless at the action.

“Why…?” Ann said, still in shock. “Shiho!” Ann ran from the window and away from everyone else. She dashed toward the courtyard, ignoring the other students gathering around. She wanted to find out why Shiho did that and she was just shocked Shiho would. Akira also dashed out of the classroom.

“Yo, what’s goin’ on? We should go to the courtyard too!” Ryuji said as he bumped into Akira. He was also startled that someone tried to kill themselves in school. “Let’s go!”

Akira took the nearest staircase to the first floor and turned right and then a left before squeezing his way through the crowd and into the practice building. As soon as they left, Akira dashed to the left once entering the practice building and turned another left.

“Class is still in session!” a teacher shouted.

“Shiho…” Ann said, staring at her best friend lying on the stretcher.

“We need someone to go with her. Are there any teachers around?” an ambulance driver shouted.

“I’m not in charge of her class though…” a teacher said.

“W-We should leave this to Principal Kobayakawa…” a hesitant teacher said.

“I’ll go!” Ann volunteered, stomping her foot on the grass. She ran toward the ambulance after the driver motioned her to come closer. She fell down on her knees by Shiho. “Shiho… Why?”

“Ann..? I’m sorry. I…I can’t take this…anymore,” Shiho said slowly, her eyes barely staying open as she laid covered on the stretcher. 

“Shiho?” Ann asked hesitantly. Shiho whispered a few words to Ann. “Wait, what… Kamoshida?!” Then Ann was taken into the ambulance along with Shiho on the stretcher. The sirens were heard until the ambulance left completely.

“Volleyball team…” Ryuji said angrily. It went back to Kamoshida once again. ‘That bastard did something. I just know it.” He was outraged at what Kamoshida did just now. He would never forgive the asshole.

“Return to your classrooms at once!” a teacher shouted.

Then Mishima showed up behind Ryuji and Akira. “Ah… Ah…” He said in a panicked voice before dashing off to the other side of the courtyard.

“Wasn’t Mishima acting weird?” Ryuji asked. “We’re gonna make him talk.” Ryuji started heading to where Mishima ran off to. Akira sighed and trudged along to chase after Mishima as well.

“Teachers, return to your classroom for now! Do not let any students go home yet!” Principal Kobayakawa said loudly in an official tone of voice. He did not like what the ruckus was causing to his school.

“That hurts!” Mishima exclaimed. He winced as he was being cornered by Ryuji and Akira inside a locker room. He winced from the sight of the aggressive boy and the delinquent student as they surrounded him.

“Why did you run?” Ryuji demanded. “She jumped and tried to kill herself!” Ryuji wanted an answer. He demanded an answer. And he knew Mishima knew something about Suzui who just jumped off the rooftop.

“Just l-leave me alone…” Mishima said timidly. His body was visibly shaking. He just wanted to leave. He had nothing to do with it. At least that’s what he was telling himself about it. In reality…he had everything to do with the suicide attempt.

“Just tell us already,” Akira demanded aggressively. “We won’t hurt you.” That wasn’t a lie either. He wanted to know the truth about this incident.

“He’s right! We ain’t tryin’ to get you busted. We won’t say you talked either!” Ryuji chimed in. He really wouldn’t do any of the things he said. He just wanted to know why Suzui would try to commit suicide.

“Suzui…” Mishima said slowly. “She was called out by Mr. Kamoshida!” He clutched his head with both hands, a pained expression on his face. He had said it; he told someone else the truth about what happened.

“What?!” Ryuji exclaimed, looking flabbergasted and disgusted. He couldn’t believe Kamoshida would do something like that to a student. He wanted to deck Kamoshida in the face so badly regardless of the consequences. He knew he shouldn’t, but hearing this makes his blood boil.

“I was called by him a good number of times too, to the teacher’s room,” Mishima explained. “It wasn’t just me or Suzui either. He’d choose someone when he was in a bad mood… and hit them,” he said shakily. He was still shaking from fear because he didn’t know what those two might do to him. All he’s doing now is being as honest as he can.

“So the physical punishment thing was for real,” Ryuji said, shocked and angry at Kamoshida. But he was not surprised. After all, he and Akira found evidence of the beatings in the other world. Now he heard what’s happened in reality, he is determined to deck out Kamoshida.

“But yesterday, he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn’t make any mistakes,” Mishima said, “Mr. Kamoshida seemed very irritated that day, so it must’ve been…worse than usual.” His shaking was reduced, but he was still afraid. He wasn’t sure what Sakamoto would do.

“He didn’t…!” Ryuji said angrily. “That son of a bitch!” He clenched his fists angrily as he gritted his teeth. Then Ryuji ran out of the locker room in a rush. He was going to confront Kamoshida.

“Oh no, Sakamoto must be going to find Mr. Kamoshida,” Mishima said as he followed Akira out of the locker room. “He’s probably in the PE faculty office on the second floor.”

Akira ran down the staircase and turned right, dashing down the hallway to near end where the PE faculty office was. Ryuji was already in there and Akira had to stop him from doing anything reckless. They couldn’t risk ruining their chances of revenge. Akira slid open the door and stepped into Ryuji standing with an aggressive stance facing Kamoshida who was seated at his desk.

“Huh?” Kamoshida said, turning his head to see Sakamoto standing there with the delinquent student as well as the useless volleyball member. He didn’t bother turning around completely to face them as he felt they were not worth the time.

“You bastard! The hell did you do to that girl?!” Ryuji shouted, with his fists clenched at his side. He wasn’t going to deck Kamoshida yet, but that depended on Kamoshida’s responses.

“What are you talking about?” Kamoshida countered. He put on a confused expression as he sneered at the students. He was on top of the world, no one can stop him. If he can’t get what he wants, he’ll take it by force. Like Takamaki and Suzui.

“You know what I mean!” Ryuji shouted, kicking one of the chairs over angrily. He was not pleased with what Kamoshida did. He took advantage of a female student. Student! Ryuji clenched his fists tightly to the point his knuckles were white.

“That’s enough,” Kamoshida said. Kamoshida was adamant to stop this silly exchange with these students. He was busy with paperwork and planning for the volleyball team. He did not have time to deal with kids.

“What you did…wasn’t coaching!” Mishima said loudly and boldly. He was not used to standing up to a teacher, especially Kamoshida considering what he’s endured because of him.

“What did you say?” Kamoshida said angrily. He was getting upset now, at a bunch of kids to boot. He wondered who he could punish as a result.

“You… You ordered me to call Suzui here!” Mishima said painfully, clutching his head with both hands. It was hurting him to speak up, but he knew he had to, or the truth will be lost. “I can only imagine what you did to her…!”

“You keep going on and on about things you have no proof of,” Kamoshida said as he got out of his seat and walked toward the student. He had enough of their accusations. “You’re basically simply making things up because you can’t be a regular on the team, right?”

“That’s not what this is about!” Mishima said adamantly, balling his fists at his side. He was upset and scared, and that made a deadly combination. What Kamoshida did to Suzui was incredulous and It really upset Mishima, considering he was the one who summoned Suzui to Kamoshida yesterday.

“Even if it is as you imagine, hypothetically speaking, what can you even do?” Kamoshida said, leaning forward with his hands on his hip. He was daunting the kids. He did not like being accused although it’s not like it was untrue. He did do something to the Suzui student. “We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui’s in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim…. How would someone like that make a statement?” The three students were startled at the news. “There’s no chance of her getting better, I hear. Ohhh, the poor girl.”

“No…” Mishima said hesitantly. “It can’t be…” He fell to his knees and hands on the floor. He couldn’t believe it. Suzui, in a coma with low chances of waking? It was his fault. Mishima bit his lower lip to prevent from breaking down.

“You goddamn…!” Ryuji said with shaking arms and clenched fists. He was frustrated and angry beyond words. He wanted to deck Kamoshida so badly now. He couldn’t stop the shaking as he was beyond angry.

“This, again?” Kamoshida said smugly. “Does this mean we have another case of “self-defence”? 

“You shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!” Ryuji started throwing a fist at Kamoshida but Akira quickly went forward and held back Ryuji’s arm. It took a bit to refrain Ryuji. Ryuji was pissed beyond any sense. “Why’re you stopping me?!”

“Cool it,” Akira replied as Ryuji dropped his arm. He was relieved he was able to stop Ryuji from doing anything reckless after all. But he was also disgusted with Kamoshida right now. He understood what Ryuji was going through, but using violence was not a solution.

“But still!” Ryuji bit his lip. He wished he could do something for Suzui and even Takamaki. But he wasn’t sure what he could do right now.

“Oh? You’re stopping him? What a surprise,” Kamoshida said in surprise. “There’s no need to hold back. Why not attack me? Ohhh, you caaaaan’t. Hahahaha, but of course you can’t. Everyone present right now will be expelled. I’m reporting all of you at the next board meeting.”

“Wha—“ Ryuji exclaimed. He was shocked. He didn’t even deck the pervert yet he’s going to get expelled. That wasn’t fair. Kamoshida was abusing his position and their lack of evidence.

“You can’t make a decision like that!” Mishima said boldly. He couldn’t get expelled; his parents would be devastated and not understand. He was doomed.

“Who would seriously consider what scum like you say?” Kamoshida said aggressively. “You threatened me too, Mishima, so you’re just as responsible.”

“Huh?” Mishima said, surprised. He wasn’t aware of threatening Kamoshida yet he was responsible and on the list for expulsion.

“To think you didn’t know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team. You act like you’re a victim, but you leaked his criminal records, didn’t you?” Kamoshida smirked. “It’s all over the internet, right? How terrible.”

“Mishima?” Ryuji asked as he turned around to face Mishima. He was surprised at what Mishima had done to Akira. He looked at Akira who looked disgusted. He’d like to think it was directed at Kamoshida rather than Mishima, but he couldn’t tell Akira’s expression.

“That’s disgusting, for a teacher,” Akira said incredulously. He couldn’t believe this scumbag. He was going to punish him, via the other world. This was enough to warrant punishing him regardless of circumstances. Someone tried to kill themselves and he’s not taking any responsibility. And then he made another student leak information about his criminal record to the rest of the school.

“He told me to do it. I had no choice…” Mishima said as he felt to his knees. He was devastated beyond words. He was going to get expelled and he was exposed for leaking the delinquent’s record to everyone else.

“We are finished here. You’re all expelled!” Kamoshida announced. “You’re done for; your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight.” Kamoshida returned to his seat and turned away from the students.

“I can’t believe this asshole is getting’ away with this!” Ryuji said angrily. He was angrier now with the revelation. His mom was going to be devastated and disappointed. He couldn’t handle that. He couldn’t break his mom’s heart. She was already working so hard for both of them.

“We’ll punish him,” Akira said softly so only Ryuji could hear. He knew this was the prime opportunity to utilise the other world to get their revenge. He forced himself on a student and then he’s threatening expulsion on the three of them.

“Wait what? …Oh right, we have that!” Ryuji said, at first confused then realised Akira was talking about the other world. It was perfect. He didn’t care anymore if Kamoshida had a mental shutdown.

“What? Have you lost your minds?” Kamoshida asked. “Worthless kids like you aren’t making any sense, but sure, go ahead and try. After all, you’ll have plenty of time to kill until expulsion.”

Ryuji and Akira had returned to the corner in the courtyard with Morgana sitting on the table in his cat form. Ryuji slammed his fist against the vending machine, not facing Morgana or Akira. He was pissed and he didn’t want them to see him like that. Though Akira just did in Kamoshida’s office.

“We can’t waste any time,” Ryuji said. “We gotta hurry to go to that world and beat and beat the shit outta that asshole!” He punched the vending machine out of frustration. He wanted to beat up Kamoshida so badly.

“We’re not beating him up,” Morgana said. “We’re simply stealing his distorted desires. Can I assume you’ve made up your minds about this? That he may suffer a mental shutdown?” Morgana looked between the two boys

“I have,” Ryuji said determinedly. “Someone almost died because of that asshole! I don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to him anymore!”

“And you?” Morgana turned his head to Akira. He looked on eagerly, hoping Akira would join the group.

“I’ve made up my mind since you first asked us,” Akira answered. He knew they had no other options but to use the other world to punish Kamoshida. He wished they started the first time it was suggested to punish the “king.” But Ryuji was being indecisive about it earlier.

“Then it’s settled,” Morgana stated, jumping up once. He was excited to start his plan to steal the Treasure. He got two promising protégé to navigate the Palace. Though he wished there was another member to help for more power.

“By the way, is getting’ rid of a Palace hard?” Ryuji asked curiously. “You’ve tried it before, right?” He looked at Morgana the cat as he asked. He had no idea how getting rid of a Palace would be like, so he figured Morgana would know.

“When did I ever say that?” Morgana answered, looking innocently. He hadn’t infiltrated a Palace before, as his first time doing so was Kamoshida’s but he got captured in the middle of the infiltration.

“You were pretendin’ to know?!” Ryuji shouted. He figured Morgana had experience doing this, but if he doesn’t, he was a bit worried how things will go. But he was still eager to do something about Kamoshida.

Ann Takamaki heard Sakamoto’s voice from further in the courtyard. She heard something about Kamoshida and about beating him up. He also dropped in a line about not caring what happened to Kamoshida. She walked quickly up to where Sakamoto was.

“Is it true you’re getting expelled?” Ann asked despondently. “Everyone’s talking about it…” She looked downcast as her eyes fell to the ground. She was too depressed about Shiho’s condition.

“The asshole’s at it again!” Ryuji exclaimed. Then he directed his next question to Ann. “So you came all this way to tell us that?” He stared at the blonde girl. He knew they were getting expelled, so he didn’t need someone else reminding him of that fact.

“If you’re dealing with Kamoshida, let me in as well!” Ann volunteered herself. The other three were surprised and shocked at this offer. “I can’t sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!”

“This has nothing to do with you… Don’t get involved with this,” Ryuji said adamantly. He wasn’t going to take an innocent along to the Palace. He will take care of this with Akira and Morgana.

Ann interrupted. She wanted to do something too, and she knew those two were going to do something about Kamoshida. She didn’t understand why she wasn’t allowed in. She at tempted to persuade them. “But it does Shiho’s my—”

“I said don’t get in our way!” Ryuji shouted, stomping a foot on the ground. He could not bring Takamaki into the Palace. It was way too dangerous.

Ann was silent and then she ran off to the side to leave the courtyard.

“That was rather harsh, Ryuji,” Morgana said honestly. He was worried about the blonde girl. He only hoped she wouldn’t do anything drastic.

“We can’t take her somewhere like that,” Ryuji said, leaning against the vending machine. He didn’t understand completely why Ann insisted on joining when she had no idea what they had to do. They weren’t doing anything in the real world after all.

“I hope she won’t do anything too crazy from that,” Morgana said worriedly. “Women can be much bolder than men at times.”

“We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida,” Ryuji said, standing upright again. “Let’s go already!” 

The three exited the courtyard and resumed the conversation in the alleyway in front of the school. Akira had his hand on his hip as he was on standby. Ryuji watched the school entrance with his hands in his pockets. Morgana stood behind them by the wall.

“The moment we cross over, we’ll treat each other like phantom thieves, so I hope you’re ready,” Morgana warned. Phantom thieves. Morgana liked the sound of that. 

“What? Phantom thieves?” Akira asked curiously. It wasn’t a bad name for their group, better than something idiotic that Ryuji could think of. Akira didn’t mind being a phantom thief, so he was pleased with the results.

“Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure—that is what we become!” Morgana replied proudly.

“That sounds kinda cool,” Ryuji stated, grinning. “So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida’s name, and “castle”? Then we end up in bizarro world. How the hell does this work? Someone make it?”

“Of course, dumbass,” Akira replied. He was quite tired of dealing with Ryuji, once again. It would’ve been fine to go in with Morgana. But he supposed they needed more manpower for the Palace, considering he barely went far inside.

“Hey, I’m not a dumbass,” Ryuji said in an injured tone. He felt like he couldn’t get close to Akira or to get him to cooperate with Ryuji. He sighed but shook his head. “We’ll show that effin’ Kamoshida!” Ryuji fist pumped the air to hype himself up for the infiltration.

“Let’s go then!” Morgana said eagerly as Akira took out his phone to enter the other world. Morgana prepped himself for his transformation to his usual form.

“They are really going to do something…” Ann said, hiding behind the corner of the wall from where Akira was standing. “Are they doing something on their phone? A name…school? Huh?!” 

Before the surroundings swirled and warped into the other world building, Ann noticed a redhead also watching from afar before they were pulled into the other world. Akira, Ryuji and Morgana were transported to the front of the castle, in their Metaverse outfits along with Morgana being back in his outfit while standing on two paws.

“Let’s go! Time to bust on through!” Ryuji said eagerly, about to enter the Palace when he heard a familiar sound coming from behind him. He turned around to see Ann Takamaki standing there.

“What is this?!” Ann shrieked. She saw a large castle bathed in purple light with red tinted windows. The gate was huge with a drawbridge already drawn down. ‘This is…huge,’ Ann thought.

“Takamaki?!” Ryuji exclaimed in surprise. He did not expect to see Takamaki in the Palace. He didn’t even know how she got in. He was annoyed that she followed them here.

“What are you doing here?” Akira asked bluntly. “You shouldn’t be here, seriously.” He was more concerned about her than about how she came in here. ‘What if she had been nearby…’ Akira contemplated internally.

“That voice… Sakamoto? And are you…Kurusu-kun?” Ann said as she stared at the two. They were dressed differently; Akira being in a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with golden accents, brown-black winklepickers and a pair of red gloves while Ryuji sported a matching black jacket with elbow pads and what appeared to be a metal vertebral column attached to its back, pants with knee pads and a double-sided holster belt with ammo on each side, a red ascot, combat boots and a pair of yellow gloves along with metal knuckle protectors and a skull mask over his face.

“Wh-Wh-Why are you here?!” Ryuji stammered. ‘What the hell is she doin’ here?! Why is she here?!’ Ryuji thought to himself. He didn’t understand how Ann got in. Ryuji glanced at Morgana for some answers but for some reason he was busy staring at Ann. Like he was infatuated with her or something.

“How should I know?!” Ann shrieked. “What’s going on? Where are we? Isn’t this the school?” Ann bombarded questions on Ryuji and Akira, who did not have an answer for her. She turned her head and body from right to left and left to right, observing her surroundings.

“It would seem she was dragged in by the app thing,” Morgana reasoned. “If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it’ll pull anyone nearby.” It was only reasonable to conclude that from what happened.

“For real?” Ryuji said, flabbergasted as he looked to Ann. He couldn’t believe she was hiding somewhere near them when they accessed this world. It annoyed him a bit that she was hiding around even though he warned her not to come along.

“So THIS is related to Kamoshida?” Ann asked, still looking around her surroundings. It was bizarre, a huge castle in the place of the school. She knew Sakamoto and Kurusu had something to do with it, or at least they were involved.

“You gotta leave anyways!” Ryuji persisted. He didn’t think it was safe for Ann to stay around them; the Palace was a dangerous place to be.

“No! I won’t leave until you explain everything to me!” Ann shouted defiantly. She refused to budge and continued to stare at Sakamoto and Kurusu. She wanted explanations and not to be pushed away.

“You’re going to attract the Shadows if you keep making a fuss,” Morgana warned. He glanced at the castle and then back to the group of humans bickering about Ann coming in the Palace.

“What?! Is that a monster cat?” Ann exclaimed, staring at Morgana. She wondered just what that was. A talking cat? Ann did not understand. Where she was, was beyond her comprehension. She wished someone would just explain to her what’s happening.

“Monster cat?!” Morgana jumped up in shock. He didn’t like being called a monster or a cat, and to be called a monster cat hurt his pride. He was hurt internally. Morgana turned away from Akira and the others.

“Well, we gotta force her,” Ryuji said. “Help me out here.” He directed his attention to Akira, as he didn’t think he could force Ann out just by himself.

Akira looked disgusted but agreed, nonetheless. “So how are we doing it?” He didn’t think she’d like to find a version of her inside the Palaces as they had met her. He only agreed because of that, not because he was concerned about Ann’s wellbeing.

“Just take her back to where we came in. That’s how it worked last time, right?” Morgana suggested. He jumped off the ledge at the castle gate and joined Ryuji and Akira in pushing Ann back to the real world.

“Right,” Ryuji said. 

“What’re you—” Ann started to say before she was interrupted.

“We’ll explain after everything’s over!” Ryuji yelped out as he began pushing the blonde girl toward the other side of the drawbridge while Akira had her on the other side, also pushing her.

“H-Hey! A-And just where are you touching?!” Ann shouted, pulling up her arms to her chest as self-defence.

“Whoa sorry, I didn’t mean—” Ryuji started to say. “That’s not important!” He gave her the final push into the real world.

“You guys seriously—” Ann said before she was pushed out of the other world.

“Man, we gotta check the area before we use the app,” Ryuji sighed. “That was something else.” He threw his arms over himself as he bent over for a moment before straightening up his posture.

“That was smart, for you,” Akira said. 

“I’m just watching you use it and I know more about it than the two of you!” Morgana said.

“Shuddup!” Ryuji snapped at Morgana. “Ah geez, Takamaki found out right when we were just about to start. We gotta deal with this fast!”

“That girl’s name is Ann Takamaki, right?” Morgana said, and then assumed a dreamy voice. “Lady Ann…” Then he led the group to hide by the corner of the school-castle’s monument. “The Shadows have noticed us. You better brace yourselves, got it? We’re counting on you, Joker!”

“…Joker?” Akira raised an eyebrow at the cat. He looked down on it, curious why he got such a name. Was it a nickname or a codename? Either way, it was a nice change from the usual.

“It’s a code name!” Morgana said, jumping up. “What kind of stupid phantom thief would use their real name?! I’m not down for that! And there’s no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names will have on the Palace… It’s just a precaution.”

“So why’s he Joker?” Ryuji asked curiously. He wanted a nickname too. Ryuji felt a tad jealous of the treatment Akira was receiving, but he brushed it off for now.

“Because he’s our trump card when it comes to fighting strength,” Morgana said. He thought carefully about the name and it was only fitting that Akira would be Joker.

“Hmm,” Akira said contemplatively. “I guess it’s not bad.” He shrugged. He didn’t mind having a nickname or codename or something like that. Morgana did make sense about the potential effects using real names would have on Palaces.

“It’s settled then!” Morgana said affirmatively. “Next is Ryuji. You’ll be… Let’s see… Thug.”

“Agreed,” Akira nodded, almost laughing. It would’ve been his first time laughing since his incident. He smirked at the thought, then composed himself so he had a joker face again. 

“Are you pickin’ a fight with me?! I’ll choose it myself!” Ryuji said adamantly. “Hm… When it comes to me, it’s gotta be this mask.” Ryuji determined it by touching his mask with one hand.

“Skull then,” Morgana said finally, looking at the mask Ryuji had on. It didn’t take long to think of Skull, considering how basic Ryuji was.

“Oooh! That sounds awesome! I’m Skull!” Ryuji said enthusiastically. “What about this one?” Ryuji pointed at Morgana who was standing there between the two guys.

“Mona,” Akira stated before Ryuji could say anything idiotic. He didn’t want another incident of Monamona happening again. Truthfully, Akira thought of Mona from that very incident he didn’t want to happen again but figured it kind of fit well for Morgana. First syllable and last syllable, Mona.

“If Joker thinks it’s easier to call me that, then sure, I’ll go with it,” Morgana said. “Then from now, we’re Joker, Skull, and Mona. We have to be absolutely thorough about using these code names from now on!”

“U-Um, senpai?” a familiar voice said from behind them.

Akira turned around, as well as Ryuji and Morgana, and saw Sumire in her own outfit. She had a black mask with silver highlights along with a black ribbon tied behind her hair. Attired with a strapless black leotard, a chain belt with two silver roses motifs and a scabbard for her rapier attached to it, a black choker and red gloves. Her black bolero jacket had gold buttons, ruffled sleeves and three floor-length coattails. On her legs were thigh-high hose and stiletto-heels resembling ballet shoes on the top.

“Sumire? What are you doing here?” Akira asked incredulously. He knew she was following them last time, but he didn’t expect her to reveal herself already like that. He walked toward her with the other two following behind from a short distance.

“U-Um… I was just worried if you’d be okay with so little people,” Sumire said reluctantly. “A-And I-I have a P-Persona too, so…” She trailed off, leaving everyone to wonder her full thoughts. She was worried what they’d think of her following them.

“That’d be appreciated if you join us,” Morgana said. “What’s your name?” He figured this would be a start on increasing their manpower. He didn’t mind having a girl though it seemed she had been following them last time.

“S-Sumire, Sumire Yoshizawa!” Sumire stuttered out. “U-Um… thanks for letting me help.” She bowed deeply to the other three. She was relieved they didn’t shoo her away or scold her for following them. She was also worried what Akira thought about what she’d done.

“What should her codename be?” Ryuji asked. He looked over her, but he didn’t have an idea on what to name her. He glanced at Akira who may have a better idea for her nickname.

“Violet,” Akira said firmly. “Sumire will be called Violet.” Akira thought of the name as he thought of her real name of Sumire. He glanced over to Sumire to see what she thought of it. Akira pondered how Sumire got her Persona but decided he’d ask her when a better opportunity presented itself.

“O-Oh,” Sumire said. She overheard them talk about codenames. “That’s fine with me!” Sumire said enthusiastically with a smile on her face. She was happy to be able to be of help. “S-So uh, we’re going in now?”

“Yes,” Akira nodded as the four passed through the castle gate and headed to the left where the window was. He glanced down at Morgana to see if he had anything else to say before they re-enter the castle.

“Let’s go!” Morgana said eagerly as he jumped up. He climbed over the barrel and jumped onto the windowsill. “We will be phantom thieves from here on out!”


	6. Ann's Awakening

As Morgana jumped through the windowsill, Sumire used her gymnastics to get through the windowsill, jumping up and flipping through the window hole. Following Sumire was Akira who climbed onto the barrel and leaped into the window, followed closely behind by Ryuji.

“Joker, Skull, Violet… are you guys ready? Let’s go!” said Mona as the group jumped down to the floor of the room. He was pleased with their manpower now, it was about the perfect level they needed. He waited for the others and then followed Akira. Akira turned right to the entrance hall where there was a gathering of Shadows around Kamoshida.

“Those intruders the other day were quite entertaining,” Kamoshida said smugly. “However, I cannot allow that trash to ransack my castle! Strengthen the security! Kill them on sight! I’ll reward whoever brings me their heads.”

“Praise be to King Kamoshida!” the Shadows army cried out. “Death to the intruders!”

“Hey Mona, can’t we just beat the crap outta him and call it a day?” Skull asked, hiding behind the door ledge along with Joker. He turned to Mona with hopeful eyes. He tapped his fingers on his thigh as he listened to the Shadows.  
  
“Look at those soldiers, idiot!” Mona chided Skull. He didn’t understand how Skull could miss that massive army in the entrance hall. “It’d be suicide. And I’m sure you don’t want a repeat of last time. Besides, don’t you want him to confess his sins? There’s no point beating him up. We need to steal the Treasure, his materialised desires.”

“Alright alright. So where is it?” Skull asked in a tone as quiet as he could make possible, glancing at Mona who was at the other side with Violet. He resigned himself to just waiting to find this Treasure.

“It must be somewhere in the depths of this castle,” Mona said. “Let’s infiltrate further in while he’s out here!”

Akira then turned around and opened the door on the right when he encountered another Shadow standing in the middle of the room. Its back was facing Joker at the time and then it turned around as the group hid outside the door.

“Damnit, there’s a guard over here too,” Skull complained in a whisper. “What should we do? Should we kick its ass?”

“Wait,” Mona said, interrupting Skull’s thoughts and plan. “This might be a good opportunity to teach you something. Okay, Joker, are you ready to take it down?”  
  
“Ready whenever you are,” Joker nodded as he got up from his spot. He jumped into the fray where there was a small blue fairy floating with red hair and blue thigh-highs as Mona started speaking.

“Shadows are beings born from people’s hearts, so naturally, they can talk too. In other words, you can communicate with them. Get it? If you talk to them when they’re cornered, they might offer money or items since they don’t want to die. In fact, talking has a better chance of scoring something great, as opposed to just offing them.”

Joker took out his gun and shot at the fairy Shadow a few times. The fairy Shadow fell to the ground, apparently having its weakness struck. Akira commanded Violet, Mona and Skull to surround the fairy to prevent it from escaping.

“Seriously? YOU guys are the intruders that King Kamoshida was talking about?” The fairy asked incredulously. “It can’t get worse than this… What are you going to do with me?”

“Give me some money,” Joker said.

“Huh? So you’ll let me live if I give you money?” the fairy said. “But this happened so suddenly… I don’t actually have anything on me…. I usually do, you know!”

“Then it’s time for you to go to hell,” Mona answered.

“Wait! Can’t we work something out? Don’t kill me! Won’t you let me go?” the fairy pleaded.

“I’ll let you go… to hell,” Joker replied.

“Ugh! Sorry, but that sounded really lame. That was the best one-liner you could come up with?” the fairy stated. “But I’m the same way. In any other situation, we’d get along really well. Whoa, I feel different! Something’s happening!” the fairy then floated back up and looked revitalised. “…Oh yeah, I remember now! I don’t belong just to King Kamoshida. I’m an existence that drifts about in the sea of humanity’s souls. My name is “Pixie”! From now on, I’ll live on inside your heart!” Pixie flew toward Joker’s mask and disappeared inside it.

“Whoa, what just happened?” Mona asked incredulously. He had never seen something like that before. A Shadow got taken in?

“Wh-What was that?” Violet asked, staring at Joker for a bit. She was impressed with Joker. ‘Wow, I never thought that was possible,’ Violet thought to herself.

“I have no idea! I wasn’t expecting that either…” Mona said, also staring at Joker in surprise.

“Intruders?! Halt!” a Shadow suddenly showed up at the door.

Joker felt an urging in his mask as he faced off against two horse-like Shadows with two horns on its head and a white mane and red eyes. Joker pulled off his mask and brought forth Pixie. “Pixie! Zio!” Pixie appeared and flew around before casting an electric shock on the Bicorn Shadow, causing it to dissipate as Pixie struck the Bicorn’s weakness.

“Whoa, i-is that the Shadow from earlier?!” Mona asked incredulously. “Did… you take in the Shadow’s appearance and powers as a Persona?!”

“Again! Zio!” Joker shouted as Pixie shocked the next Bicorn, also causing the last Bicorn to dissipate into nothingness.

“Does this mean you can wield multiple Personas?” Mona asked.

“I guess so,” Joker answered, shrugging. He didn’t know exactly what he had done but it only felt natural. He felt Pixie snug inside, which didn’t mean much to him.

“W-Wow, senpai! That was amazing,” Violet said. “What exactly happened?”

“He sealed the enemy’s appearance and powers into his mask and made it his new Persona…” Mona explained. “Is such a feat even possible? Even I’ve never seen anyone pull that off!” He was impressed and amazed with Joker right now.

“It’s nothing important,” Joker answered, shrugging again. He wasn’t sure what the big deal was with what he had done. He looked down at Mona who was staring back at him. It made him a bit uneasy to have Mona staring at him, though he was aware of the fact that Violet was also staring at him.

“Only one heart exists per person, so normally a person can only have one Persona,” Mona said. “Incredible! That ability will give us a huge advantage in battle! All right, try to do that even more if the opportunity arises! You better help out too, Skull!”

“Hell yeah!” Skull said enthusiastically.

Joker ignored the rest and pulled Violet along to the next door on the left. Violet was startled, letting out a gasp but allowed herself to be led away. Mona and Skull hurried along to chase after Joker. Joker snuck past the enemies toward the treasure chest. Then he maneuvered his way past the dining hall and out of it to find a hazy looking door straight ahead. ‘It’s a safe room again,’ Joker thought.

“Oh look, it’s another hazy-looking door! This is that thing. Uhhh… what was it called?” Skull said, racking his brain for the correct term but nothing was coming.

“A safe room,” Violet answered for Mona. “It’s for strategy discussion.” She thought she was intruding a bit so she cut short what she wanted to say. She would’ve added that it could serve as a rest spot, but she left the rest to Mona.

“Did you already forget what it’s called?” Joker sighed at Skull.

“There are a lot of places even I don’t know about in here,” Mona added, as the group went into the safe room.

* * *

Meanwhile on the outside of the castle, Ann Takamaki showed up within its gate again after being shooed away by Skull and Joker. Ann looked around and stared at the castle. “This is that place from earlier! …What’s up with this app? I said the words Sakamoto said and I ended up—”

“Princess?” a voice came from within as it approached Ann.

“Huh?” Ann questioned.

“Princess!” a group of voices came out as three Shadows guards showed up running toward Ann.

* * *

Back with Joker, Skull, Violet and Mona, they were standing around the safe room discussing casual topics when Skull heard extra noises from outside. “Doesn’t it sound like there are more Shadows than before?” Skull asked.

“Yeah, it does sound that way,” Violet replied, listening to the sounds. She couldn’t make out the exact words being used, but it did sound rowdier outside. Something must have happened outside for this to happen. She hoped she or the others didn’t do anything.

“Just getting’ this far’s been a real pain in my ass!” Skull complained loudly.

“It’s all because you provoked Kamoshida, you know,” Mona countered. “Still, he seems to be awfully on guard…” He trailed off. He wasn’t sure why Kamoshida was still so on guard or why there were still more Shadows than ever.

“Anyway, how are we supposed to steal the Treasure thingy?” Skull asked.

“Don’t be so hasty. First, we’ll need to secure an infiltration route,” Mona explained.

“A what?” Skull asked dumbly as he leaned against the wall while glancing down at Mona.

“A path to the Treasure’s location,” Mona said.

“You say you don’t have your memories and all, but somehow don’t you still know about this kinda stuff?” Skull asked Mona. “Do you think this thing’s really got amnesia?”

“I don’t really care,” Joker replied, leaning against the wall as he yawned. He closed his eyes briefly as he drummed his fingers on his leg.  
  


“You’re a step ahead of that moron,” Mona said with a smile.

“Don’t call me a moron!” Skull countered. “You talk big but what if it turns out you’re just some stray cat in the end?” He stomped one foot at Mona, in an aggressive stance.

“That can’t be…” Mona said dejectedly. His eyes looked downcast as he avoided looking up at any of the humans in the room.

“U-Um, don’t say things like that, Skull,” Violet said nervously. “That’s not very nice.” She fiddled with her thumbs as she said that, not accustomed to speaking her mind. But she felt she should try to change that.

“Still, why was the princess in such an odd place?” a Shadow’s voice was heard from where Joker was.

“Princess?” Skull asked in a whisper.

‘It must be a female student from school, maybe Ann or somehow Shiho. If it was a cognition of them, then both of those two worked,’ Joker pondered internally.

Mona walked toward the door and leaned his huge head against the door as he listened to the Shadows’s discussion.

“I could have sworn we were pursuing the readings of an intruder.”

“It doesn’t matter now. We must take her back to King Kamoshida.”

“Who’s this princess they’re talkin’ about?” Skull questioned.

“It’s probably—” Violet started to say but stopped herself. She thought it’d be insensitive to mention that it could be Suzui-san but she didn’t want to offend anyone.

“I should probably look into this!” Mona said as he opened the door and disappeared behind the door as he went around. He was going to search the immediate surroundings for this mysterious “princess.”

Inside the safe room, Skull said, “And yet another question goes unanswered… Stuff like the castle and that navigation app are mysterious, but Morgana’s got ‘em both beat.”

“Remember code names,” Joker reminded Skull. He found Skull rather annoying with his small brain. ‘I’m not too fond of Skull, what with his stupidity. Skull thinks we’re friends, but we’re really not. On the other hand, Violet was more promising. She was sharp too. Things will get a lot better now,’ Joker thought internally.

“Yeah, you mean Mona,” Violet said somewhat quietly. She looked at Skull, a bit timid as she was afraid he’d tell her off. Then she glanced over to Akira who looked pretty pleased with himself. ‘Pleased…with what?’ Violet thought to herself.

“Crap, sorry!” Ryuji panicked for a bit. “Thanks, you two. Anyway, what was I again? Oh yeah—Skull.” He refreshed his memory with his own codename. Then he remembered Akira was Joker and Sumire was Violet. That was when Mona re-entered the safe room in a panic.

“This is bad!” Mona exclaimed, closing the door behind him.

“That was fast,” Ryuji stated, as he looked down on the cat not-cat. He stood up straight as Mona returned to the room. ‘What is up with Mona? Did something’ happen outside?’ Ryuji thought.

“Your friend… Lady Ann!” Mona said breathlessly. “She’s been taken by Shadows!” He cried out in a panic. He saw Lady Ann get captured by Shadows and seemingly to be captured as the cognitive Ann was also there with Kamoshida.

“Wait what? But we sent her home earlier,” Ryuji stated confusedly. He swore he sent Ann back, with the help of Joker and Mona.

“If Lady Ann has the app, it could be possible,” Mona suggested. That was the safest bet to make on how Lady Ann returned to this world. But they had to hurry and rescue her.

“Oh crap! Was it put on her phone just like mine?!” Ryuji exclaimed, also in a panic. “Damnit. We let her out for her own safety and now she comes back in by herself?” Ryuji punched the wall, startling Violet. “Oh, sorry, Violet.”

“I-It’s fine,” Violet said shakily. “Let’s go then.”

The group of four rushed out of the safe room as Mona gave his instructions to direct them. First, Mona told them to go through the dining hall whence they came from earlier.

“Is this some kind of filming?! Who’s in charge here?” Ann’s voice echoed through to the group.

As soon as the group exited the dining hall, Joker turned to the right in the middle of the hallway. Then Ann’s voice was heard again. “Look, I’ll apologise for touching the armour without permission!”

“She totally doesn’t get what’s goin’ on,” Ryuji mumbled under his breath. He sighed at her cluelessness, but then he couldn’t blame her either since he didn’t understand all of it either.

“Hurry! We have to save her!” Mona exclaimed as he tried to rush Joker to hurry to save Lady Ann.

“What’s all this about? Seriously, I’m gonna call the cops!” Ann shouted while chained up on an x-shaped cross with her wrists and ankles tied to the ‘arms’ of the cross.

“So, this is the intruder,” Kamoshida said, smirking.

“Kamoshida?!” Ann said incredulously. Then the other Ann walked up to Kamoshida. “Who’s that? More importantly, what is this place?! Why’s the school turned into something like this?!”

“I can’t believe you mistook _my_ Ann for someone like her,” Kamoshida sneered. “Are you afraid?”

“What is that outfit? Have you lost your mind?” Ann continued asking unanswered questions.

“I do as I please. This is my castle after all. The world of my desires,” Kamoshida continued sneering.

“What the—? Wait, is this some red-light district?!” Ann shouted.

“What a lively slave,” Kamoshida said.

“This isn’t funny! Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!”

  
Kamoshida turned to the cognitive Ann. “The girl’s decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?”

Cognitive Princess smirked and drawled a response, “Talking back is, like… totally unforgivable.”

“In that case, she should be executed,” Kamoshida commanded as a gold-coloured Shadow walked up to Ann. “How should I play with you? Shall I tear you into little pieces?”

“Are you kidding me?” Ann said incredulously.

On the other end, the group had arrived at the room but were surrounded by cognitive versions of girls who were topless and only wearing underwear. Some were lying on the floor and others were crawling to the group while one was covering her chest squirming in place on her knees.

“This is effed up…” Ryuji said slowly, staring at the scenery that unfolded to them. “Is that really what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team?” He felt even more disgusted with Kamoshida. This made him more determined to punish the king.

“Hey, that’s—!” Mona said.

“Takamaki!” Skull called out as he ran toward Ann and Kamoshida.

“Just when I was about to start enjoying myself,” Kamoshida mumbled aggressively. Kamoshida glared at the group of four who had interrupted his plans. He noticed Yoshizawa and smirked, thinking of things he could do to her.

“What’s the deal with this guy?” Ann questioned, struggling against the cross she was attached to.

“You little…” Skull snarled, getting into a stance prepared to attack.

“How many times are you gonna come back?” Kamoshida growled. Then he turned his head to face Ann. “I bet you’re just like those thieves. You came because you’re pissed at me, right?” But, ah… I forget that chick’s name, but it’s your fault she jumped, you know.”

“What…?” Ann said slowly, trying to comprehend what Kamoshida said. ‘Did he just say what I thought he said…?’ Ann thought to herself, falling into a small depression.

“You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me, so I had her take your place,” Kamoshida sneered.

“You bastard!” Ann shouted angrily. Then a Shadow approached her and she was silenced quickly with fear. She shivered visibly.

“Just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show,” Kamoshida smirked.

“No! Don’t!” Ann cried out. She struggled against her chains that tied her to the cross, but it was to no avail.

“Perhaps I’ll start with her clothes…” Kamoshida said with a lewd tone and a blush forming on his face. He was excited to see what was going to happen.

“You’re such a perv!” the cognitive Ann said seductively.

“What are we gonna do?!” Skull said in a panic. He didn’t want to see someone get dismembered in front of him. He wished he could do something right now to help Takamaki. Then the Shadows walked closer to Ann. “Takamaki!”

“Is this… my punishment for what happened to Shiho?” Ann said despondently.

“Yeaaah, that’s more like it. You should’ve looked like this from the start,” Kamoshida smirked.

“Shiho… I’m so sorry,” Ann said, dropping her head down. She felt incredibly guilty for what happened to Shiho. She could’ve saved her best friend, but here she was, tied down by her wrists and ankles.

“D-Don’t give in!” Violet suddenly said loudly. “I-It’s not your fault for what happened to Suzui-senpai.” She tightened her hands into fists as she tried to reassure the other girl.

“Huh? Oh… You’re right,” Ann said slowly.

“Don’t that scumbag get to you! Remember what he did to Shiho!” Skull shouted.

Ann suddenly snapped out of it. She had a determined expression on her face. “Letting this piece of shit toy with me… What was I thinking?!”

“It’s like I always say. Slaves should just behave and—” Kamoshida started to say.

“Shut up!” Ann shouted, interrupting Kamoshida. “I’ve had enough of this! You’ve pissed me off, you son of a bitch!” Then Ann heard a voice in her head as a massive headache started. Ann twisted and turned around in place as she tried to deal with the sudden headache.

_“My… It’s taken far too long. Tell me… Who is going to avenge her if you don’t? Forgiving him was never the option. Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within… I am thou, thou art I… We can finally forge a contract,”_ a mysterious voice said within Ann’s mind.

“I hear you… Carmen,” Ann said determinedly. “You’re right, no more holding back!”

_“There you go… Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I’ll gladly lend you my strength.”_

Blue flames formed at the shackles as a determined, pained expression was worn on Ann’s face as she broke free from the shackles. She knocked one of the Shadows out as it flew backwards and its weapon flew into the air where Ann jumped up and grabbed the weapon. She then swung the weapon at the cognitive version of Ann and slashed it, causing it to dissipate into nothing. She then tossed the weapon aside.

“I’m not some cheap girl you can toy with… you scumbag!” Ann declared to Kamoshida. “I won’t let you try to use me anymore!”

“Bitch!” Kamoshida snarled.

“You stole everything from Shiho. You destroyed her. Now it’s your turn! I will rob you of everything!” Ann shouted at Kamoshida.

“How dare you! Enough of your indolence!” a Shadow guard showed up and, in its fury it transformed into a large being with purple skin, two large horns on its head, and was sitting on a toilet. It had long claws and knee-length boots.

“I won’t give up anymore! Let’s go, Carmen!” Ann shouted as she called forth her Persona, which looked like a woman with long curly hair and a long, corset top and long red dress while stepping on a guy with a heart shaped head.

“Carmen! Agi!” She stood aside as Carmen showed up and struck with a fiery spell on the Shadow. The Shadow Belphegor turned around and slashed at Carmen, causing Ann to wince from the impact. She called forth Carmen again and casted “Agi” again.

“Kouha!” Violet shouted as her Persona showed up. It had yellow hair tied up with a yellow ribbon tied around its head and blue crystallised skin with black covered arms, a white cape tied on its back, a golden skirt wrapped around its waist. Cendrillon appeared and swung forward. Cendrillon casted the Kouha spell as two orbs shot out and struck the Shadow at once from above.

Joker ran forward with his dagger and slashed the Shadow before it could counter. He ran up against the wall and slashed the Shadow again.

“To think…there would be a woman…. who could stand up to King Kamoshida,” the Shadow said slowly before dissipating into nothing.

“Pfft, outside of school, that guy’s nothing but a pathetic loser!” Ann smirked as Carmen receded to the back of her mind. She felt exhausted now, panting with her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

“Oh shit,” Kamoshida said in a panic and then fled from the scene.

“Wait!” Ann shouted before collapsing on her knees.

“Why’d you come here, man?! And more importantly, how?” Skull demanded to know.

“A-Are you okay?” Violet asked gently, kneeling a bit to Ann’s level.

“That’s not how you speak to a woman!” Morgana shouted at Skull. Then he faced Ann and asked, “Are you all right, Lady Ann?!”

“Lady Ann…?” Ann questioned the cat not-cat. “Wait, what is this thing? Is it alive? How can it talk? And where in the world are we?”

“Umm… we can explain,” Violet said nervously.

“Calm down! Everything’s going to be okay; don’t worry,” Mona said to try to assuage Ann.

Ann put a hand on top of Mona’s head and slowly got back up on her feet. “How am I supposed to calm down?!” Then she looked down and saw her outfit, which was a skin-tight red latex with a cleavage cutout and zippers and a matching red panther mask. “W-wait what Why am I dressed like this?! When did I— Ugh what’s with this?!”

“Heh, calm the hell down already,” Joker said calmly. He was getting a headache from all the questions from Takamaki. He did not need this right now. He was about to just grab a hold of her and try to make her relax forcefully.

“How can you expect me to be calm?!” Ann shrieked at the group, holding both arms around her chest to cover the cleavage while going back on her knees.

“Well, I’m stumped,” Mona said worriedly. “A search party will be coming for us soon. There’s no time to explain. We have no other choice. Let’s retreat for now!”

“We were just getting’ fired up, and then you had to go and get in the way! Rgh, fine…” Skull said in a resigned tone. “Here, give me your arm. You take the other side,” Skull directed the last part to Joker.

Joker looked disgusted but agreed to it fair enough. Then the group left the castle and returned to their world, ending up back in the alleyway where they entered.

“Thanks…” Ann said slowly.

“Looks like we made it back-hey are you okay?” Ryuji asked.

“Pretty much,” Ann replied. Wait, I lied—I’m still confused by all of this.”

“You may be safe now, but a lot sure happen back there…” Morgana said. “At any rate, we stand out too much here. Let’s relocate to a safer spot.”

“Agreed,” Sumire said.

The group walked over to the train station and stopped by a payphone where they relaxed. Ryuji had gone to get three refreshments and returned to the group with those in hand. He had to hold two in one hand.

“Which one you want?” Ryuji asked Ann. His hands were getting pretty sweaty from holding three drinks at once. He hoped Ann would choose quickly so he can distribute the rest to Akira and Sumire.

“Whichever’s not carbonated,” Ann replied, glancing at the bottles in Ryuji’s hands. She didn’t think they were not carbonated but worth a shot to suggest that.

“Uh, they’re both actually,” Ryuji said, looking down at the bottles in hands. He should’ve known she’d pick something like that.

“Then…” Ann said as Ryuji took the single bottle in hand and gave it to Ann. He looked toward Sumire and Akira.

“Um, I’ll take whatever,” Sumire said meekly, then received a green-coloured bottle. She looked at the bottle and it said “Green tea flavoured carbonated drink” though it was still carbonated. She watched Akira get the last bottle which was yellow-coloured, probably lemon flavoured. She nodded as thanks and drank a bit from the bottle. It was very bubbly, but it was better than nothing.

“What about me?” Morgana asked, sitting snugly in Akira’s schoolbag.

“What? You’re a cat,” Ryuji stated. He didn’t see why he had to provide drinks to a goddamn cat.

Morgana chose to ignore the comment from Ryuji. “Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?”

“Um… Morgana, right?” Ann said. “I really am talking to a cat. This feels so strange. Oh, sorry! You’re not a cat, right?” She felt weird talking to someone who looks like a cat.

“It’s only natural that you’re confused,” Morgana said calmly. “Demanding that you understand all this right after what you went through is asking too much.”

“Honestly, I’m still in shock over what happened,” Ann said distractedly. She stared off to the tracks but not quite looking at them. They’d explained what happened and what everything meant to her as Ryuji was getting the refreshment drinks. “And that power… my Persona…”

“It’s the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann. With it, you’ll be able to fight in the other world,” Morgana said.

“So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right? Is it really possible? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?” Ann questioned.

“The volleyball team is keepin’ quiet about this, while teachers and parents turn a blind eye,” Ryuji said. “If guys like us try and complain, they’re just going to shoot us down. Goin’ all in on this plan is the only choice we got.”

“That’s true,” Sumire said. “A-And Sakamoto and Kurusu-senpai are going to be expelled…”

“Then let me help too. I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho,” Ann said determinedly. She decided she was going to join in punishing Kamoshida in the other world. She couldn’t just sit idly by and let the others do the work. “He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her… I’ll never forgive him!”

“Wait, did you just say ’let me help’?” Ryuji asked. “You want us to take you along?

“Hey! I can fight too,” Ann argued. She can pull her own weight, as they witnessed in the last battle with the Belphegor before they retreated back to the real world. “It’s like Sumire here!”

“What should we do?” Ryuji asked, looked at Akira, Sumire and Morgana. He was hoping they’d agree with him about letting Ann join. But they did just let Sumire join recently so the chances of agreeing with him was late.

“Why not? She’ll be fine,” Akira answered. He didn’t see why he was asked about letting someone else join. He thought it would be a boost to their manpower.

“Yeah, I think she’ll make a great addition!” Sumire said enthusiastically, holding her hands together, with her drink in between them.

“Even you’re on board with this?” Ryuji asked. He sighed and resigned himself to his fate.

“Even if you said no, I’d just go in alone,” Ann said aggressively. She was ready to go at it alone if they didn’t take her along.

“Oh right, she can go by herself. I guess it’s more dangerous than turnin’ her down,” Ryuji said. “Rgh, fine…”

“Then it’s decided. I hope we can get along!” Ann said. She turned around to catch the train. “I’m going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho, but for everything he’s done. I won’t let any more people suffer because of him. I’ll do whatever it takes! Just let me know when you’re heading back in— Oh we don’t have each other’s info!”

“Oh, same here,” Sumire said as she took out her phone. The other three did the same and everyone exchanged their numbers and chat IDs.

“I’ll be counting on you, then,” Ann said. “Same goes for you, Morgana!” She was feeling more upbeat now after what she went through in the other world and finding people she may be able to call friends to help her with her mission.

“The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ann,” Morgana said happily as Ann left the group. “What a kind girl… Such admirable consideration for others… And the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal… She cares about her friends, and she’s beautiful to boot. What a girl! She’s captured my heart.”

“Dude,” Ryuji said incredulously. “Anyway, it’d be better if this group could get together quick from now on.”

“True. Our best option is to make a secret hideout where we could discuss these things,” Morgana agreed.

“A hideout, huh? I like the sound of that!” Ryuji said excitedly.

“The school rooftop would work,” Morgana said. “It seems like nobody goes up there. For the time being, that will make for the perfect hideout. I can’t contact you from inside a Palace, so I’ll stay in this world. That being said, I need someone to take care of me. I’m personally nominating you. You should feel honoured,” Morgana said to Akira.

“Why the fuck do I have to take care of you?” Akira asked abrasively.

“Well, that’s all on you. There’s no way I can at my place,” Ryuji said.

“U-Um, if you really don’t want to, senpai, I can probably take him,” Sumire suggested shyly. She wasn’t sure what Akira or Morgana would think of that.

“No, it’s fine, I’ll take Morgana,” Akira sighed. He didn’t want to burden Sumire with a cat, and possibly get her in trouble with her parents if they didn’t approve of pets. He didn’t know anything about Sumire’s household so he can’t just leave this on someone else.

“Well, we have our hideout, so let’s meet there tomorrow!” Ryuji said before running off to catch the train.

“Now let’s go take a look at my new residence for this world,” Morgana said.

“Well, see you later, senpai,” Sumire said as she prepared to leave. “Good night.”

“Good night, Sumire,” Akira said as he waved to the redhead and headed off himself. He took the train back home and when he arrived, there was a customer who was a woman dressed in punk clothing, with a spider web-designed top under a leather jacket and long pants with holes around the knees area.

“Stay upstairs while we’re open for business,” Sojiro warned Akira.

As Akira crossed the café, the woman got up and prepared to leave. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”

“Come back again,” Sojiro said to the woman as she left. “Phew. That’s it for today.”

“Who was that?” Akira asked curiously.

“Oh, that customer just now? She’s the head doctor over at that clinic down the street,” Sojiro explained. “Rumour has it she has pretty crappy examinations and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that. At least, that’s what I heard. I haven’t been there myself. They should just leave her alone. It’s not like she’s getting in the way of their lives.”

“Hey, are we there yet?” Morgana asked.

Sojiro sighed. He thought he heard a meow. But it couldn’t be. “Well, I gotta get home and start making dinner.”

Akira went upstairs and dropped the bag with Morgana in it on the bed. Akira just stood there by the bed as Morgana looked around his surroundings, only seeing a mess of books, cobwebs covered everything, and miscellaneous objects were lying everywhere.

“What the… What is this place?!” Morgana exclaimed. “Is this some kind of abandoned house?!”

That was when Sojiro came up to the attic. He was still in his pink dress shirt and light yellow pants under a dark green apron. “Hey, are you—” Then he noticed Morgana lying on the cot. “I was wondering why I heard meowing… What did you bring it here for?!”

Akira racked his brain for an excuse. “Uhh, it followed me here.”

“Not my problem,” Sojiro said. “This is a restaurant. Animals are a no-go. Although I guess you might stay on good behavior if you’ve got a pet to take care of… Fine. But keep it quiet when we’re open for business. And don’t let it roam downstairs or I’ll toss it out. Oh, and I’m not gonna take care of it. That’s all on you.”

Akira groaned. He knew he had to take care of Morgana now. At least he’d just give Morgana food and water. Akira sighed, wondering what he’d do with Morgana. ‘I guess I’ll just keep him around for now anyway,’ Akira thought to himself.

“Was that the ruler of this place?” Morgana asked, sitting down on the cot. “He seemed pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump. Then again, I suppose to normal people think I sound like a meowing cat.”

Sojiro entered the attic again with a plate of leftover rice and curry and walked to the bed with the plate and settled it down near the cat. “Seriously… it had to keep calling out with that cute little voice. Make sure you wash that dish. By the way, have you decided on a name?”

“Morgana,” Akira quickly said. He had a feeling Sojiro wanted to rename Morgana so he said his real name to Sojiro. Not like he’d know any better.

“Morgana, huh? I was hoping I’d name it…” Sojiro said disappointedly and left the attic.

“Looks like the chief likes me better than you,” Morgana said smugly.

“Shut it,” Akira growled at Morgana. He was tempted to toss the cat out already. He wasn’t going to take such a tone from him.

“And to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida’s cells,” Morgana commented. “Remember how you guys asked before about what I am? To be honest, I don’t remember anything about my birth. I think the Metaverse’s distortions made me lose both my memories and true form.

“Is that form a cat?” Akira smirked. He wanted to mess with Morgana’s mind, but it seemed the cat got a bit more aggressive instead. ‘So mission failed,’ Akira thought.

“I told you! I’m an honest-to-god human! If I were originally just a cat, how could I talk?! It doesn’t make any sense!” Morgana explained. “There’s no doubt the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self. I’m sure that once they’re purged, I’ll finally be able to get back that self. And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too. That’s why I was in the first place.” He moved to the plate of food. “Now that I think about it, I didn’t get hungry over in that world…” Morgana started slurping up the leftover rice and curry.

“Are you done?” Akira asked abruptly as Morgana finished the last curry on the plate. He still had to go wash the plate before going to bed so he rather did it now than too late.

“Yes,” Morgana nodded. “Let me make myself clear though. Your taking care of me won’t be for nothing. It’ll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools.”

“What are those?” Akira asked. He was curious what these infiltration tools were and how useful they could be in their excursion of the Palace.

“In exchange for you keeping me here, I’ll teach you about these tools. How does that sound?” Morgana asked.

“I guess so…” Akira said reluctantly. This may be what Igor had been talking about, forming bonds for building stronger Personas.

“I take that as you accept?” Morgana asked.

“Yes,” Akira nodded.

“Then it’s a deal!”

_I am thou, thou art I…_

_Thou hast acquired a new row._

_It shall become the wings of rebellion_

_That breaketh thy chains of captivitiy._

_With the birth of the Magician Persona,_

_I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…_

“I’ll lecture you about the infiltration tools over time,” Morgana explained. “By the way, the power you used in the Palace was seriously amazing. The stronger that power gets, the more reliable it’ll be as a trump card. Personas are the strength born from one’s heart. Depending on what kind of life experience you gain, I bet it’ll affect that power as well!”

What Morgana struck him as what the Velvet Room taught him about Personas being born from one’s heart. He wondered how Morgana may have to do with the Velvet Room, but he’ll ponder that another time. It was getting late.

“And if you become acquainted with capable people, you might learn various, useful skills too… This is all part of our deal, got it?” Morgana asked. “I expect great things from you. Don’t let me down, okay?”

Just as Akira was about to settle in bed, he received a message from Ann. He checked the message, and it was as it read:

_Ann: Thanks for everything today._

_You saved me, and I didn’t even thank you properly_

_Akira: Don’t worry about it._

_Ann: I can’t._

_Anyway, I wanted to let you know at least._

_See you tomorrow._

Then just as Akira was going to put away his phone again, a new notification came in. He pulled his phone back out and checked. It was from Sumire.

_Sumire: Hey Akira-senpai! How are you feeling?_

_Akira: Pretty tired right now. How about you?_

_Sumire: I’m fine! I just want to tell you thank you for letting me join._

_Akira: It’s no problem. You’re really helpful._

_Sumire: Really, senpai?_

_Akira Yes._

_Sumire: Thank you! Good night, senpai._

_Akira: Good night, Sumire._

Akira finally put his phone away and changed into his usual sweats. As he laid in bed, Akira realised he hadn’t heard the voices lately. He figured it could be just being preoccupied enough to be able to ignore them. Regardless, it was a relief. He preferred it that way, was what Akira was thinking before he dozed off.


	7. Infiltration, Part One

Akira called the rest of the team to the rooftop to prepare for the Palace infiltration. Ann, Ryuji, Sumire and Morgana rested on the rooftop awaiting directions. Ann sat at a chair with her leg crossed, Ryuji sitting with his legs on another table while Sumire stood to the side.

“So we just have to go to the castle and steal the Treasure from Kamoshida, right?” Ann asked, looking at Morgana. She thought she understood a bit about this Metaverse.

“What even is a Treasure? I wanna know that before we do anything,” Ryuji asked, also looking at Morgana for answers.

“A Treasure is the physical form of the Palace ruler’s distorted desires,” Morgana explained. “It’s the core of the Palace. Once we steal it, the Palace will crumble… I think. Having said that, not even I know what Kamoshida’s Treasure will be.”

“And where is it?” Sumire asked curiously. She was following through with Morgana’s explanation of the Treasure and the Palace.

“I don’t know that, but it’s probably locked in the depths of the Palace,” Morgana shrugged. There was no way of knowing where the Palace was until they actually went in.

“I think I get it. So we just gotta find the Treasure, right?” Ryuji asked.

“That’s right,” Morgana said, nodding. “In any case, our objective is to find the Treasure’s location somewhere in the Palace. Make sure we go about this with time to spare to avoid unforeseen circumstances.”

“Let’s go then, guys,” Akira announced as he pulled out his phone. He scrolled through the Metaverse Navigator and tapped on Kamoshida’s Palace. The background swirled and warped until they ended up in the Metaverse again.

“Oh daaaamn,” Skull said, eyeing Ann and checking out her outfit. It was skin-tight and showed off her features.

“What’s up?” Ann asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

“Oh, n-nothing,” Skull stuttered. “I was just thinking what code name we should use for you.” Ryuji rushed to his excuse so he wouldn’t get hurt for checking Ann out.

“Code name?” Ann asked curiously, a bit confused at the turn of events.

“I’m Skull, he’s Joker, she’s Violet and that’s Mona,” Skull said, pointing to each person with their code name.

“Judging by your costume…” Mona started to say. 

“Well, look at her, she has a tail and all that, so…” Skull trailed off. “What do you think, Joker?”

“I don’t really care,” Joker said, leaning on one side of his body as he listened in. “What do you want, Ann?”

“Hmm…” Ann said contemplatively. “How about Panther? That sounds pretty cool.” She looked a bit worried about her choice

“Huh?” Skull asked confusedly. He didn’t know why she wanted the name Panther.

“It sounds more ferocious!” Ann exclaimed. She didn’t want to be called some kind of cat or kitty, as it made her feel too domestic.

“She’s a cougar,” Morgana added, with a dopey grin on his face.

“Don’t call me that!” Ann exclaimed, as she stomped her foot on the ground. She most definitely was not a cougar. “More important: Kamoshida!”

“Oh right, let’s go then!” Ryuji nodded.

“We’re back to code names again, remember that,” Akira warned the rest.

With that, Joker noticed a small passageway and a lift in front of it. He led the group toward the lift, who were all curious about where the lift would bring them. Akira looked around at his party members and then pressed the up button. The elevator took a bit to get to the ground level and everyone walked inside, last being Akira. They were all transported slowly and then the lift stopped. The group headed out and they were inside a safe room.

“Whoa! What’s this?” Panther asked, looking around the room she was suddenly in. The group had arrived at a corner in the room. Everyone spread around the table at the center of the room.

“It’s a safe room,” Mona answered. “You can relax, and we can have strategy sessions here.” Mona jumped up and sat on the table. 

“I-I heard you talking about it, but I’ve never been in one,” Violet said, a bit quieter than normal because she was revealing her tailing Joker’s group earlier. A faint blush formed on Violet’s face.

“Well, we can rest a bit,” Joker. He walked over to Violet who was standing a bit off from the others. “Hey Violet,” Joker started to say. He looked at Violet who was leaning against the wall, one hand gripping her other arm. “How are you doing?”

“O-Oh, I’m f-fine,” Sumire stuttered. “U-Um, is something wrong, senpai?” She looked at Joker in the eye, sensing he wanted to know something, but she couldn’t guess what.

“I was just wondering if you’re willing to share how you had awoken to your Persona with us,” Joker said casually. “I was just curious.”

“O-Oh, so that?” Sumire asked. “Well… Um… It happened not too long I came into this world after you and Mona-san…”

An enemy Shadow approached Sumire as she was tailing Akira and some black cat walking on two paws. She was shocked and terrified for her own safety, trembling with fear. She fell forward and was barely able to catch herself sitting on her behind. Then suddenly, a massive headache was coming. Clutching her head with both hands, she twisted around in place.

_“Who will complete our dream if you were to die here? Well, if those really are the shoes you’ve chosen… Then we’ll dance to the end.”_

__

_“I will… do this!” Sumire shouted as she rose to her feet and a pink energy covered over her entire self. Her feet were clad in black heels along with black thigh-high socks while her hands were covered with ruffled sleeves and red gloves. Then a strapless black leotard was put on Sumire along with a chain belt with two silver roses motifs and a scabbard for her rapier. At the end, a black mask formed on Sumire’s face._

_“Cendrillon!” Sumire shouted. Still shaking a bit, Sumire ripped off her mask as a being clad with a yellow ribbon around her head and bearing a blue crystallised body with a gold-coloured skirt around the waist and golden shoes._

_“Cendrillon! Kouha!” Sumire shouted as Cendrillon floated toward the Shadow. Cendrillon casted two orbs that flew above the shadow and joined together as they crashed onto the Shadow. Sumire then ran forth with her rapier and slashed the Shadow, causing it to dissipate._

“And that’s it,” Violet ended her recollection to Joker and the rest of the team. Looking around the room, everyone was silent. “U-Um… yeah…” Violet stuttered, looking down at her hands while she was twiddling her thumbs. Nervously, she looked up again at the group.

“That was dangerous!” Panther exclaimed as she was listening to Violet’s story. “I’m so glad you’re okay now.”

“Hehe, well, that’s how I’m still here,” Violet said, smiling slightly, looking up briefly before returning her glance to the floor.

“It was really dangerous,” Joker said, with concern in his voice. “You should’ve come running to us when that Shadow showed up. But I’m glad you came through.” Not sure what came over him, he was worried about Violet’s safety. ‘It’s nothing now… yet why do I feel a tightening feeling in my chest?’ Joker pondered.

“Ehehe,” Sumire said, blushing slightly. Looking down, her hands stopped moving as she looked back up at Joker. He was looking at her with soft eyes and full of concern. It surprised Sumire to see that expression on Joker.

Joker looked away as he walked toward the door. “I think we’ve rested long enough now,” Joker said to the group. The rest of the group got up from their seats and followed Joker to the door. Opening the door, he allowed the rest to exit first before leaving himself and letting the door shut. 

He led the group to the left and opened the door to the right. Joker snuck around the storage room, leading them into the next hallway with a Shadow standing and blocking their way forward. Pulling on one of his red gloves, Joker flexed his neck as he pulled off his mask. “Arsène! Cleave!” Arsène appeared and slash the Pixie horizontally. It jumped back as Pixie tried to counterattack. The Pixie failed to attack and fell backward on its behind. “Arsène! Again, Cleave!” Arsène showed up again and slashed the Pixie across, causing it to dissipate.

“Let’s go,” Joker instructed the rest of the party. He led the group to the next area, where Mona instructed to use the cover of the chairs and corners to sneak by the enemies. Joker slid behind a chair and jumped to the next one, and the process was repeated until Joker snuck past the enemy Shadow. 

Stealthily passing through the rooms to avoid detection, Joker led them into a new room with bars around an area in the center. Joker closed his eyes and opened his Third Eye, eyeing the glowing spot on one of the ram’s head. Rushing to the spot, Joker pulled the chain hanging from the mouth. Then he ran along to the other side and pulled the other chain.

“Whoa it opened!” Skull exclaimed in surprise. “That’s neat.” He looked around the area before glancing at Joker to see what their next move was.

“As expected of you, Joker!” Mona praised Joker. Feeling proud of his choice, Mona felt excited for this infiltration. ‘He definitely fits the codename Joker,’ Mona thought.

‘I wonder how Joker-senpai found out which chains to pull…’ Violet thought to herself. ‘As impressive as ever.’ Then she said aloud, “Great work, senpai!”

Joker went inside to the previously caged area and grabbed a piece of parchment from the table. It looked like an old map, yellowing in colour and a few folded edges. He looked behind the map, but it was empty. ‘Looks like it’s only half a map,’ Joker observed.

“What the hell is this? He had it all locked up and shit, but it’s only some old map?” Skull complained.

“You’re hopeless,” Mona sighed. “You don’t realise how important a map is.”

“M-Mona-san is r-right,” Violet said shakily, afraid of the prospect of the thieves fighting amongst themselves.

“Having this will give us a better grasp of the topography of the Palace,” Mona explained. “It’s truly a necessity for a phantom thief. This should make securing a route much easier.”

So does it say where the Treasure is on there?” Panther asked curiously.

“Oh, actually, this map seems to be incomplete, there should be more of them around,” Mona explained.

“Then let’s keep going!” Violet said enthusiastically. “W-We might find the other part of the map that way.”

Joker led the group away from the room and headed through a corridor where he hid behind the chairs as he jumped through the enemy Shadow and escaped battling them. Joker did not want to battle every enemy, or everyone would tire easily. Entering a room with chandeliers hanging, Joker felt he could climb up and walk through the chandeliers. “Let’s get through the chandeliers, everyone,” Joker instructed the group.

“Whoa, are you sure we can make it past?” Skull asked incredulously.

“We should be able to,” Joker answered. “There aren’t that many of us, and Mona is a cat,” Joker said, teasing Mona for a bit.

“I am NOT a cat!” Mona exclaimed, jumping up into the air once. “I expected better of you, Joker.” Mona shook his head sadly.

“Anyway, let’s go,” Joker shrugged. “We don’t want to be captured now, do we?”

“N-No,” Violet said, a bit afraid of that prospect. “W-We really should continue on.”

The party followed Joker and Violet as they jumped up onto a shelf, then walked a bit before jumping to the next platform. Joker jumped onto the chandelier, as it shook, he balanced himself as he looked back to Violet and the others. 

Looking ahead, Violet leaped across the chandeliers, landing perfectly on her two feet without losing her balance. It was simple enough to do, as it was similar to gymnastics. Violet looked over to Joker who looked relieved as she landed. Smiling at Joker, Joker returned the smile and pressed on her shoulders.

Skull, Panther and Mona both jumped across the platform where both Skull and Panther regained their balance with Joker’s assistance. Joker turned around and leaped through a few more chandeliers with the rest following closely behind. Reaching the final platform, Joker jumped down as the rest followed. He walked into the next room and saw a treasure chest.

“Look! A treasure chest!” Mona exclaimed, running up to the chest. “You made some lockpick, right, Joker?” He looked more excited than Joker to find a treasure chest.

“Yes, it’s a treasure chest, Mona, and we can all see that,” Joker sighed. “Yes, I have a few Lockpicks on me.” Walking forward to the chest, Joker opened the chest and inside was an old sooty armour that even Joker could tell no one would be able to wear with this wear. Recalling there was a laundromat in Yongen-jaya, Joker made a mental note to stop by there sometime when he could.

“Ew, what is that?” Mona asked in disgust.

“It might be wearable after a wash or two,” Joker answered, shrugging. He couldn’t care less, but he thought about giving the clothing a wash. Or something else if an opportunity came up. He could try to see if there was somewhere that bought used clothing. No one outside the Palace knew where the clothing came from after all.

Joker led the group out of the area and through the door where he climbed the stairs into a new area. With his Third Eye, Joker noticed the footprints led to the farthest end where a ram’s head was there with the chain. Joker pulled it and then left the area to the previous area where he pulled the next chain on the ram’s head. Walking into the vast dining hall, Joker noticed a few more ram’s heads and ran over to them to pull them. At one point, Joker noticed a ventilation shaft and stopped the group.

“Okay, this won’t bring us to the exit so the rest of you should wait for me as I get to the bottom of it,” Joker told the group and silenced any interruptions. “I’ll be fine.”

“U-Um, still, b-be careful, senpai!” Violet stammered. She still thought following along wasn’t a bad idea but if Joker disagreed, she had no other choice.

Joker climbed through the ventilation shaft and went to a new enclosed area. He looked around the area and found the ram’s head, walking over to it and pulling the lever. Returning to the group, he led them to the new area. Pushing the door, Joker passed through it with the others following closely behind. They passed into a room with multiple shelves and ahead was a locked door. Joker jumped up on top of one shelf and noticed another ventilation shaft on the other end of the shelves.

“We gotta jump through to this ventilation shaft,” Joker instructed the group as he jumped through first and into the shaft. 

The others followed through, with Violet leading the group after Joker went to the end of the shaft. ‘This is tight…’ Violet thought to herself as she crawled over to where Joker was waiting. ‘I can’t wait to get out of this.’ As she was nearing where Joker with, she let go of some restraint as she tried to relax a bit in the shaft.

Ann was feeling self-conscious, so she had Skull and Mona go through the shaft first. Skull didn’t know what the big deal was, but he shrugged and climbed through the shaft to where Violet and Joker were waiting. The two were chatting as Skull reached the end. Mona had been closely behind him when he reached the other two. Ann crawled slowly, complaining about the tight enclosure. Joker silenced her complaints, pointing down to the bottom level where there was an enemy Shadow along with a treasure chest though only Violet and partially Mona could see that. “I’m going in for the kill. The rest of you follow closely behind. We don’t have that time frame to idle.”

Joker then leaped down from the ventilation shaft and landed behind the Shadow, then leaped up onto its back and ripped off its mask, revealing a Jack o’ Lantern floating about. “I’ll kill you!” the Shadow shouted.

“We’ll get you first,” Joker sneered, as the rest of his party jumped down from the shaft.

“Gah! More people! How pesky,” Jack o’ Lantern mumbled as he got into a fighting stance.

Joker prepared himself, ripping his mask off and calling: “Arsène! Eiha!” Arsène showed up and casted a black aura spell on the Shadow. The spell struck the Shadow on the chest, causing him to be knocked back.

“Cendrillon! Cleave!” Violet shouted as the blue crystallised Persona appeared. Floating over to the Shadow, Cendrillon slashed through the enemy.

“Captain Kidd, Lunge!” Skull shouted as he ripped his mask off. Captain Kidd appeared riding its ship mount as it dove toward the Shadow. Slashing it, Captain Kidd jumped backwards before the enemy could counterattack.

The Shadow fell forward from trying to attack Skull, so it moved toward Violet with its glowing lantern. As the Shadow was about to strike Violet, Joker jumped in front and slashed the Shadow with his dagger. “Are you okay, Violet?” Joker asked as he stepped to the side.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Violet said shakily. “Thanks for saving me.” She bowed her head deeply, wondering what got Joker to jump in front of her before the Shadow struck her. But she was happy, as it showed his concern for her wellbeing. 

Then the Shadow stopped. “Hee-ho… I surrender! Please have mercy, ho!” the Shadow begged as he stopped in front of Joker, seemingly to know Joker was the leader of the group.

“Hmm…” Joker pondered. “Lend me your power.” Deciding to take on this Shadow as his new Persona, Joker thought it’d be useful to have more Persona on him.

“Thank you, ho! My heart was on fire for a momen—H-Hee?! I remember now, ho!” Jack o’ Lantern was saying. “I am not a Shadow here, ho! I live in the sea of hee-human heart! I’m Jack o’ Lantern, hO! I’m you, and you’re me!” As Jack o’ Lantern went into Joker’s mask.

“Whoa, I didn’t realise even Shadows beg for their lives… That’s actually kind of surprising…” Ann observed.

“Shadows have emotions too, you know. Of course they’ll be afraid if you corner them like that,” Mona explained. “It might be worth purposely creating such situations to get them begging for their lives. The Shadows seem to have different attitudes, too. If we take advantage of that, negotiations may go more smoothly. 

After that, Joker led them through a hallway and through a door. The next room looked broken, with the stairs collapsed near the beginning and toward the top. Joker pondered how they’d get across to the next area.

“Looks like it’s in pretty bad shape,” Mona said disappointedly.

“Uhhh, I don’t think we’re goin’ any further this way,” Skull noted.

“Well yeah, you can see for yourself we can’t,” Joker commented. “But there are no other pathways.”

“Wait! Look up there,” Mona said as he pointed to the ram’s head with a ring in its mouth.

“What about it? Are we throwin’ a rope over there and climbin’ it?” Skull asked dumbly.

“Phantom thieves do things a bit more stylishly than that,” Mona said smugly. “And I know just what’ll do the trick. Mona then equipped a grappling hook onto Joker’s left hand, hiding the hook and rope inside his sleeve. “Good, it seems it fits properly.

“That’s just a little something I’ve been working on in secret,” Mona explained. “The grappling hook lets you zip to hard-to-reach places in a flash. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you test it out. Go ahead, give it a try. Oh, and here is some rope for the rest of us to hang onto.”

Joker tied the rest of the rope on his waist. He looked over the rope, which only had room for two and Mona could hang onto one rope with the other person. That left one more person… “Violet, come hang onto my back.”

“H-Huh?!” Violet exclaimed, blushing at the thought of holding onto Joker closely. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Umm… n-now?” She stuttered.

“Yeah, the rest of you grab the rope,” Joker instructed. Violet had hugged onto Joker as the other two blondes were gripping the rope with Mona hanging onto the rope with Ann. Joker then swung the hook onto the ram’s head and swung himself over the broken staircase. Landing on the top, Joker opened the treasure chest only to receive another piece of sooty armour. 

Leaving the stairway, Joker entered into a new area, He headed into one of the rooms and noticed a book glowing, so he approached the book. ‘What is this…?’ Joker pondered to himself, then decided to take the book just in case it was needed somewhere around here. ‘The Slave Book…? What the hell is this…?’ 

Joker stuffed the book into his armour and left the room. Walking briskly to the next room, Joker found the next book, which was titled The Queen Book. ‘This is just weird,’ Joker said suspiciously, holding the book with one hand. Then he put the book away and continued to a larger room south of where the books were.

“Whoa, it’s so musty,” Panther complained, brushing the dust off her outfit. Looking around, it looked like a library with all the books on shelves. There was a golden globe spinning deeper into the library.

“It’s a library. It does seem fishy,” Mona observed, taking a good look at his surroundings. It did smell musty as Panther described it.

“Whaddaya mean?” Skull asked.

“Come on, it’s a library in a castle. There has to be some kind of secret mechanism in here,” Mona said encouragingly. Remembering Skull was slow on the uptake, Mona sighed. “Let’s take a look around, Joker.”

Deeper into the library, Joker spied another strange book on the table. ‘The King Book? Seriously?’ Stuffing the book away, Joker used his Third Eye to examine the room and found a slot. Joker walked briskly over to the bookshelf.

“Shiho’s name is on here… Wait! It’s all the female students!” Panther exclaimed.

“Ann Takamaki: The Charming Doll, holy shit,” Skull said incredulously. He could not believe his eyes.

Joker looked through and saw Violet’s name on a volume too. Sumire Yoshizawa, The Sexy Gymnast. Clenching his fists, Joker felt anger at Kamoshida for that. He quickly stuffed the Queen Book into the shelf before Violet could see it. He moved quickly to the nearby shelf where books were about Kamoshida only. He figured the book ‘The King Book’ was what it was referring to, so he stuck the book into the shelf. Then he went to the other side of the library where there were names of the male students, including the volleyball team members.

“Ryuji Sakamoto: The Vulgar Ape. Well, here’s one for Skull,” Mona commented. He looked through the books and they were definitely all of male students on this shelf.

Joker inserted the Slave Book into the shelf and just as it was snugly inside the shelf, two shelves separated and opened to a new area. It looked like a dark altar with candles spread on the floor and a numerous number of photographs on the wall. As they entered the room, the photographs were all of Shiho Suzui.

“What the fuck? There are a bunch of photos of Suzui here!” Skull exclaimed, staring at the room. He felt disgusted with Kamoshida right now. Kicking at the ground, Skull looked around the room, which looked like a cultist room.

Panther was speechless as she stared at the room. She was flabbergasted and disgusted with Kamoshida even more than usual. Taking a deep breath, Panther calmed herself down as she focused her thoughts on this mission. ‘We’re going to get our revenge on Kamoshida…’ Panther thought to herself.

“I’m sure it’ll feel awful, but we should search this room,” Mona said determinedly. “There has to be something in here if he was hiding something with such an elaborate trick.”

Joker turned to the left and noticed something shining on the shelf. He grabbed the item, which was some kind of medal and pocketed it, thinking it’d come in hand soon.

“That size, and that shape… I think that’s our key!” Mona exclaimed. “Remember that round indentation we saw back near those bars?”

“H-Hey, there’s something under the medal,” Violet said shakily, pointing at the old parchment on the shelf where it had been sitting underneath the medal.

Joker took the parchment, and noticed it was another map. Looking at Mona, he expected some comment about the map. Meanwhile Joker pocked the map into his pocket. This will definitely be useful. Joker started to head off when Mona started to speak.

“It’s a different map from what we have! Take it with us, Joker!” Mona said eagerly, jumping up in excitement.

“I’ve already pocketed it, Mona,” Joker said. It was a bit slow of Mona to not notice he pocketed the map already.

“Aha! Our map’s complete now,” Mona grinned. He was enthusiastic about this infiltration now. Everything should go smoothly… or so Mona hoped.

“So is the Treasure on the map now?” Skull inquired curiously. He looked enthusiastic for the mission now.

“Yeah! It has to be here…” Mona pointed at one n-shaped building with a square building north of the building.

“That’s a weird-shaped building… Is it a tower or something?” Panther guessed. The lower area looked like it was a tower.”

“Considering our current position, I’d say we’re about halfway there,” Mona stated plainly. He looked at the other group members who were looking a bit worn out from infiltrating the Palace.

“Let’s hurry over there then!” Skull said eagerly, about to head off when Mona interrupted him.

“No. Now that we know how much we have left, we can calculate the best way to pace ourselves,” Mona disagreed with Skull. “Let’s keep exploring, but take breaks when you need to, Joker.”

Just as Joker was about to leave the room, an enemy Shadow appeared from the entrance. “Hey, what are you doing?!” the Shadow exclaimed.

“Damn it. Of course they spot us now…” Mona said disappointedly.

“If we wanna head back, we’ll hafta go through this guy… Time to make a path!” Skull said, pumping his fist into the air.

Joker then struck the Shadow. A Bicorn showed up with one glowing with purple swirls. Skull immediately ran toward the glowing Shadow and struck it with his bludgeon, hitting it critically. Then Shadow struck back at Skull who fell backwards. 

“Leave it to me!” Mona shouted, who took out his slingshot and struck the Shadow with a shot. The huge Shadow did not dissipate but exploded in its place, hurting the other two regular Shadows to a critical point. “Go on Joker, Violet, Panther!” He called out to the rest of the team.

“Arsène! Cleave!” Joker shouted as he ripped off his mask. Arsène showed up and drew a weapon to slash through the enemy Shadow, causing it to dissipate unlike the previous huge one.

“Cendrillon! Kouha!” Violet shouted, also ripping off her mask as Cendrillon appeared. Cendrillon casted two yellow orbs over the remaining Shadow and the orbs fell down on the Shadow, which started to dissipate.

“Whoa, what were those Shadows that were so intense?” Panther asked as their battle finished.

“I call those scary ones Disaster Shadows,” Mona explained.

“They really are scary…” Skull said, rubbing his back after the fall from the battle. “But so long as we handle ‘em right, we oughta be able to make ‘em useful to us, right?”

“Right!” Mona said, purring. “Right! If we run across any more of those, I say we focus on them first!” 

“Got it,” Joker said in agreement. He then led them into the safe room closest to the library. As he entered, the group followed him cautiously, not sure why they were going back to the safe room. “Everyone’s tired. Let’s rest a bit before we continue on.” Joker could be generous if he had to be. Besides, he was going to be fighting with the group so it was wise to give them time to rest or they’d overwork themselves.


	8. Infiltration, Part Two

“This is takin’ a while,” Skull complained. “Are we at least halfway through?” Moaning, Skull tapped his fingers on his thigh as he waited.

“Not quite,” Mona said. “We got the rest of the map, so we know where to go. But it depends how well we do from here on out.” He stared at Skull for being impatient already. Infiltration takes longer than this. ‘Can’t Skull be more patient?’ Mona thought to himself.

“I-I think we’ll be fine,” Violet said nervously, looking around the safe room. “A-Ah, should we continue on?” Violet glanced up at Joker.

“Yeah, I’m all rested,” Panther nodded as she stretched her limbs one last time. Then she got up from her seat as she prepared to follow Joker.

“Yeah, I think this is good enough for a break,” Joker confirmed. “Let’s go, guys.” 

As Joker led the group out of the safe room, he turned right and ran straight down to the door to where the golden bars were. Taking out the medallion from the library, he slipped it into the slot at the very bottom and pulled the chain. The bars descended in front of the door. Joker pushed open the door into a carpeted stairway. He ran along the hallway into a large area where there was a gigantic statue of Kamoshida at the back of the room.

“Wait, Joker!” Mona called out, interrupting Joker from moving forward. “This place is huge yet there are no guards? That seems suspicious.”

“But the Treasure’s up ahead, right? We don’t got a choice but to keep goin’,” Skull said. “Let’s get goin’!”

“I guess that’s true… but let’s make sure we’re ready for whatever might be ahead,” Mona said cautiously. “What do you think, Joker? Should we continue onward?”

“Yes, we have no other choice,” Joker said as he led the group into the large room. As the group arrived, they had a brief scenery of the gymnasium from the school.

“Wait what, was that the gym?” Panther asked incredulously.

“Ah… I get it. The gym’s some kinda holy place for him. He’s a god there,” Skull suddenly realised. That was what usually happened in the gym, with how he showed off himself with volleyball. But it made Skull disgusted with what Kamoshida’s done.

“I can’t believe he can think like that…” Panther said slowly but angrily. “Especially after what he’s done to Shiho!” She felt sick to her stomach staring at the statue.

“God, that bastard makes me so freakin’ sick! Just you wait, Kamoshida!” Skull grumbled.

“I see… So you’re the ones who tampered with the library,” a mysterious deep voice said. “It seems my time waiting here has paid off.” A shadow dressed in golden armour and a red ribbon on its head. “Just as that ape there said, this place is a holy ground for our great King Kamoshida. It is preposterous for scumbag like yourselves to come wandering in like this!” Then the Shadow suddenly transformed into a large being with armour around and red wings, along with holding a sword with both hands and a helmet on his head showing part of his face. “You will pay for foolishly defying King Kamoshida… with your lives!”

“I knew this would happen! Well, let’s go everyone! Take it down!” Mona instructed.

“Jack o’Lantern! Agi!” Joker shouted as the blue-clad phantom floated up and casted a fireball and shot it straight at the boss. Joker rolled to the side before the boss struck him in retaliation. “Go, Violet!” Joker yelled out at the redhead.

“Cendrillon! Cleave!” Violet shouted as she ripped off her mask. Cendrillon appeared and slashed the boss horizontally. Violet then ran forward to the boss and slashed it with her rapier. However, the boss grabbed a hold of the rapier and struck Violet on the side.

“Violet!!!” Joker shouted as he saw Violet fall to her knees.

“I…I’m okay,” Violet said breathlessly, panting while she got up on her knees.

“You’re all too slow!” the Shadow laughed. “You can’t defy King Kamoshida!”

“Arsène! Eiha!” Joker shouted as he switched his mask to Arsène. The Persona showed up and cast black swirls that struck the boss. Running past Violet, Joker jumped at the boss and struck him in the face before landing on his feet. The boss made a strike at Joker, but he dodged it again. “Too slow!”

“Carmen! Agi!” Panther shouted as she ripped off her mask, where her Persona struck the boss Shadow with a fireball. She jumped backwards from the Shadow’s range before he could aim at her.

“Captain Kidd!” Skull shouted as he ripped off his mask. “Zio!” Captain Kidd showed up and threw a lightning bolt at the boss who had dodged it. “Lunge!” Captain Kidd flew forward and struck the boss in the chest.

“Zorro! Dia!” Mona shouted as he aimed his attention toward Violet. A green gust surrounded Violet, healing her wounds from the Shadow, as she rose up to her feet.

“Thanks, Mona!” Violet exclaimed. “I’m not done yet! Kamoshida will not win!” She ripped off her mask again. “Kouha, Cendrillon!” Cendrillon casted a spell where two orbs showed up above the Shadow and struck down on the Shadow boss. Being careful, Violet ran up to the side of the Shadow and struck him from behind, causing him to scream.

“Arsène! Cleave!” Joker shouted as Arsène showed up and slashed the boss critically, making him disappear.

“No… King Kamoshida…will…prevail…” The Shadow Boss said as he dissipated.

Ryuji started panting breathlessly on his knee. “Man, didn’t realise those things were that tough.”

“Yeah, it looks like he’s making a concerted effort to stop us now,” Mona said affirmatively. “We’ve got to be more careful from now on.

Suddenly a crowd of Shadows appeared and surrounded them, slowly turning around to face the group. They all looked intimidating, walking around the group as they watched them. Joker examined each one but there were just too many Shadows around to take on and to be able to survive it.

“Crap… More of ‘em…” Ryuji said tensely, stepping closer to the group as one eye kept watch of the Shadows in case of emergency. “What are we gonna do, Joker?”

“W-What will we do?” Violet said shakily, sticking closely to Joker., ready for action whenever Joker commanded it. Fear and anxiety was taking over her body, but Violet fought back mentally so she doesn’t freeze up when Joker needs her.

“No, the Treasure is definitely up ahead, and there has to be a path to it somewhere,” Mona said. “See anything that could help us zip by here? Keep your eyes sharp!” Mona instructed Joker.

“Stick close, Violet!” Joker said. “Hang on tight. And the rest of you, grab a hold of the rope tightly. I don’t want to lose any of you back down there.”

Violet clung onto Joker’s back while the other three had a tight grip on the rope. Joker looked up at the gigantic Kamoshida statue at the center of the room and swung the grappling hook onto the arm, landing on a small platform. Once landed, Violet released Joker and the other three had already gotten to their feet.

“Well, that was close. Good going, Joker! That was some expert grappling,” Mona said proudly. “Now we can investigate this area! Let’s get to it.”

Joker led the group and walked south, then jumped down and headed through the door on the other side. He opened the door and walked ahead, then stopping at a turn where Skull and Mona noticed something different there.

“Huh? The hell is that?” Skull commented, looking at across the hallway to the other side. It looked like a door, but Skull couldn’t be certain what exactly that was.

“Hey, looks like we found something. Let’s check it out, Joker!” Mona volunteered enthusiastically, jumping down the hallway to the very edge. “Look, this is where you can use a grappling hook!”

Joker moved closer where it was a dead end. There was a red-coloured door with green wines overgrown on it with a sinister aura to it. It looked pretty creepy as well as Joker checked out the other side. As Mona mentioned, there was a hook for the grappling hook.

“By the looks of that door, no one’s been in there for a long time,” Mona observed carefully. “But it should be safe enough for us. I don’t detect any Shadows from there. I think.”

“I wonder what’s over there… Should we take a closer look?” Panther asked curiously. Panther looked curious, wanting to know what was behind the door. It didn’t take much to get Panther curious about things.

“We should take a look!” Violet said eagerly, skipping in her gait as she went toward the edge.

“Grab a hold everyone then,” Joker shouted. As soon as Violet was attached from behind and he felt the tugs on the rope, Joker swung the grappling hook onto the handle on the other side. Once they landed, Violet let go and walked with Joker to the door. Joker used his dagger and slashed the wines off. The group went inside the room.

“This room seems different from the rest of the Palace,” Panther said, still looking around the room. Panther felt the room had a sinister feeling to it.

“Yeah, and there’s something super suspicious over there!” Skull noted, referring to the object at the end of the room. Pondering what the object was, he wondered why Joker didn’t move closer to the object in question.

“That’s… Come on, follow me!” Mona said, jumping up a few times. Then he took over lead and had the group follow him to the end of the room. Lying on a pedestal was a brown skull with red light emanating from it. 

“Wh-What is this?” Violet asked nervously, looking around the group members. “It seems kind of creepy…” Feeling afraid, Violet approached closer to Joker for ease.

“Just what I thought!” Mona said. “A Will Seed!” He jumped up in joy as he saw the Will Seed. 

“What’s that, Mona?” Joker asked curiously. He didn’t quite understand a Will Seed is, as Mona hadn’t really gone into an explanation yet. Curious what this brown skull-shaped object was, Joker waited patiently.

“Palaces are locations that grew distorted from their original forms due to their rulers’ cognitions. When such distortions coalesce into form, this is the result—I call it a Will Seed!” Mona explained.

“Distortions… coalesce... into Will Seeds…” Skull said confusedly, getting lost in the explanation. Confused, he still didn’t understand the Will Seed.

“Should I try explaining again?” Mona asked, disappointed with Skull’s comprehension level right now.

“Just forget it. That’s a Will Seed. Moving on…” Skull said heatedly. He didn’t need another explanation because he still wouldn’t understand it. He’d just fry his brain trying to comprehend it.

“So, what do we do with it?” Violet asked nervously.

“We take it,” Mona said. “It might not be as prized as a Treasure, but it’s still quite the rare find. Making it ours will only do us good… I think.”

“N-Nothing will happen when we take it, right?” Violet asked cautiously.

Joker then took up the skull object and put it in his outfit. “Well, the Will Seed is ours now.”

“And nothin’ happened,” Skull said almost disappointedly. He let his head droop for a bit before lifting it back up almost immediately. “Well, let’s continue on then!”

“There are more of these around here somewhere,” Mona said. “As far as I can tell, there are two of them left.”

“How can you tell?” Skull questioned the cat. “Can you smell it or something?”

“Yeah, like how dogs can— oh wait, you’re a cat,” Panther corrected herself. 

“I am NOT a cat!” Mona shouted, jumping up into the air a few times.

“Um, we should get going, Joker,” Violet said, looking at Joker who was looking quite exasperated with their conversation.

“You’re right, let’s go, Violet,” Joker said.

Just as Joker was about to leave the Will Seed room, the voices returned abruptly. The voices were also louder than before, causing Joker to wince and clutch his head with both hands. ‘No… Not now. Why now?’ Joker thought to himself painfully. ‘No…’

_“Look out for the criminal!”  
“Get away from him!”  
“You’re such a disappointment.”  
“Give up this mission.”_

Clutching his head tightly, Joker tried to regain his gait, but the voices were ongoing. Then he heard a feminine voice call out to him. “J-Joker-s-senpai!” the voice called out. Realising it was Violet, Joker shook his head vehemently. The voices slowly receded as Joker released his grip on his head.

“Ugh…” Joker muttered, shaking his head in an attempt to shake off the disturbing feeling he got from hearing those voices again.

“Are you okay, Joker-senpai?” Violet asked out of concern. She had rushed over to Joker’s side after seeing him clutching his head. Afraid something happened to Joker, she wanted to be by his side through whatever.

“Yeah, are you okay, Joker?” Mona asked, concerned. He looked up at the group leader, a worried expression on his face.

“What’s up?” Skull asked as he turned back to face Joker who looked a bit pale. “Whoa man, are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine now,” Joker mumbled. “Sorry for the delay. Let’s get going.”

“As long as you’ll be okay, Joker-senpai,” Violet said worriedly, twirling her hair out of anxiety for Joker’s wellbeing.

Joker swung through back to the previous area and went inside the spiral stairway. He climbed through the numerous spiral stairs before ending up outside with a tower in sight.

“Look at that! It’s a tower!” Skull exclaimed, pointing out at across the area. “We made it!”

“That does match up with the map. There’s no doubt that’s the tower we’re headed for,” Mona noted.

“So the Treasure’s up there!” Panther exclaimed excitedly. She wanted to punish Kamoshida already.

“We’re almost there,” Violet said quietly, aware their voices may catch the Shadows’s attention.

“Hell yeah, we did it!” Skull said enthusiastically. “Uh… where’s the entrance?” That was when numerous Shadows showed up in the area. “Ugh, not again…”

“Of course the security will be tight around here,” Mona said firmly. “But as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained! Let’s go, Joker!”

“Hang close, Violet,” Joker warned to Violet. “The rest of you, don’t forget the rope!”

Joker stepped forward a few steps before swinging his grappling hook across to the roof of the gazebo-like location. Before the rest could let go, Joker swung over to the next area by the tower. He released the others and Violet as they got off. He jumped through the window as the others followed him, but instead of jumping down, he felt something through the ventilation shaft. He climbed into the shaft with the others following though confused. He continued climbing and used the grappling hook again, though this time he told the others to wait below. He swung around and went through the same vine-covered door. He swiped the vines apart with his dagger and pushed opened the door. He stepped in and walked deeper inside to find another Will Seed, this time glowing in green. Then the voices returned abruptly again.

_“You’re such a disappointment.”  
“You’re just going to bring shame to this family.”  
“Stay in Tokyo if you’d like. We don’t want you back.”_

Joker clutched his head tightly. He struggled against the voices, shaking his head vehemently. Trying to keep his mind off the voices, Joker thought about how the group was waiting for him, Violet was going to be concerned again if he didn’t rejoin the group soon. Eventually, the voices settled down and Joker shook his head before going back to the group. 

After rejoining the group, he led them back on track as he jumped off the red platform. That was when they entered the new area and everything looked distorted with the floors being unstable. Pillars rose out of random spots on the ground.

“The distortion is getting stronger… The Treasure has to be nearby!” Mona warned cautiously. “Let’s move carefully.”

Joker moved forward and turned into an elevator with four statues of headless women in nothing covered but the abdomen and legs. They left the area and Joker walked straight to a giant painting of Kamoshida.

“Ugh, what is that?!” Panther exclaimed, exasperated. She was getting pissed off with Kamoshida. Getting impatient with the pervert, Panther spat at the painting. Then she apologised for the unladylike behaviour. 

“U-Um, are you okay, Panther-san?” Violet asked out of concern, looking at the other girl in the group.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Panther replied. “Just… pissed off at Kamoshida. Thinking he’s king and stuff.”

Joker pushed forward and everyone ended up back in the entrance hall. Looking around the area, Joker confirmed it was the entrance hall. He stepped forward with the group.

“Wait, this looks familiar,” Skull said slowly as he looked around his surroundings. He could have sworn was here before with the others.

“It’s the entrance hall! Have you already forgotten?!” Mona exclaimed, exasperated and jumped up. Couldn’t believe Skull forgot where he was just a while ago, Mona sighed impatiently.

Joker ignored their bickering and went right to a small room with a lever. “Stay close, Violet,” Joker said. Then he pulled it and the gears started moving. Leaving the area, Joker jumped back in through the painting with the others following behind. He then went back to the lift but this time he went to the left one. As they descended, they followed around a weird circle to the next area. It was where the Will Seed was located, but this one had a guard to it.

“You there! You’re not taking another step!” the guard said.

“I guess we’ll just have to step on YOU first! Let’s do this—” Panther started to say when the Shadow turned into a slimy penis head, squirming in place. Panther screamed.

Joker jumped in and called forth, “Arsène! Cleave!” Arsène was summoned and slashed the penis head horizontally. Joker rushed to the Shadow and slashed it with his dagger before jumping away from retaliation.

“Cendrillon, Kouha!” Violet ripped off her mask as Cendrillon appeared. Cendrillon appeared and casted two golden orbs over the Shadow, which crashed onto the Shadow. “Cleave!” Cendrillon then slashed the Shadow horizontally.

The Shadow slid forward and slashed Violet, who had tried to dodge it too late. Then the Shadow moved to the next target and struck Panther on the side.

“Zorro, Garu!” Mona shouted, ripping off his mask. The massive Persona appeared and casted a gust of wind that struck the Shadow. “Dia!” Mona called out, as a green coloured wind surrounded Panther, healing her of her wounds.

“Captain Kidd, Lunge!” Skull shouted, as his Persona on a boat appeared. Captain Kidd flew forward to the Shadow and slashed it across the chest.

After the battle, Joker slashed the vines on the door with his dagger. He stepped in and took the last Will Seed. As soon as the Will Seed was taken, the three Will Seeds surfaced and swirled until they were merged into one item, though as three heads and not emanating any energy. Joker pocketed the Crystal of Lust.

“What was that?!” Skull exclaimed. “C’mon, Mona! You never told us what these Will Seeds will do!” 

“So THAT’S what happens… I never expected tha— Oh, I mean I never expected anything less than that to happen!”

“Now that’s our Mona,” Joker chuckled. It was his first time in a while that he had a chuckle. It felt nice to Joker.

“Hehe, pretty obvious, Mona,” Violet said, giggling. She noticed Joker had chuckled, and it had been a very nice change to see in Joker.

“Either way, what matters is the power I’m sensing from it,” Mona said. “Maybe it could give us an upper hand somehow in the future?”

“Wait, we’re just taking it? I’m not sure that’s a great idea,” Panther said hesitantly. She didn’t like the idea of just taking something that didn’t belong to them.

“A phantom thief makes use of any available tool to accomplish a mission,” Mona said. “Who knows what we’ll find next! If we find ourselves in a situation where this could be useful, let’s see what it can do!” 

Joker returned to the lift and resumed to their initial goal of infiltration. That was when the voices returned to haunt Joker. He clutched his head with both hands as they came on.

_“No one would want to be around you.”_  
_“Stay away from me, you criminal!”_  
_“No one wants you.”_  


“J-Joker-senpai?!” Violet called out, reaching a hand to touch his shoulder. “H-Hey, are you okay, senpai?”

Joker slowly shook himself from the voices to face the group with worried expressions, especially Violet. He just knew the voices had returned abruptly again but nothing more than that. He rubbed his head and blinked a few times. 

“I’m alright, Violet,” Joker finally said. Then he turned to face the others. “I’m sorry, everyone. I’m fine now.”

“Are you really okay?” Mona asked out of concern as he looked on Joker with worry.

“Yeah, I’m fine now,” Joker nodded. “Let’s keep going.” Joker led the group deeper in and in the new area, a staircase formed from the tiled floor. Joker continued climbing on into the next floors until he came across a platform and a blank Kamoshida statue. He tried to enter a new area, but the scythes swung rapidly across causing Joker to step backwards.

“Whoa, that was dangerous!” Panther exclaimed, stepping back a few steps. She felt she was in danger with the swinging scythes.

“My tail might be in danger if we force ourselves through!” Mona exclaimed, jumping up after backing away from the new area.

“Oh, then so is Panther’s. Well, what else can we do?” Skull asked, looking to Joker for further instructions. 

Joker examined the empty Kamoshida statue and tried pulling the mouth, but there was no reaction. Then he noticed there were no eyes on the statue and mentioned as much to the group. Mona seemed to be in a contemplative position.

“Hmm… That’s likely,” Mona said. “The Shadows must be carrying the keys.”

“An enemy? One of those Shadows that’s roamin’ around?” Ryuji inquired. “Dude, how many of ‘em do you think there are? We can’t beat the crap outta all of them!”

“The keys are for this tower, so it would have to be one of the Shadows around here,” Mona explained. “On top of that, it would have to be a relatively high-ranking one.”

“Then let’s look for them and defeat them!” Panther said enthusiastically.

“Y-Yeah, let’s go, everyone,” Violet said nervously.

Joker led them back to the previous areas and hunted down some Shadows. The first one spotted had two red feathers hanging on top of his head with golden armour. Joker struck the Shadow and Eligor appeared and slashed Joker’s chest. 

Joker jumped back and ripped off his mask. “Jack o’Lantern! Agi!” Joker shouted. Jack o’Lantern showed up and formed a fireball before shooting it at Eligor.

“Carmen, Agi!” Panther shouted as she ripped off her mask. Carmen appeared and shot a fireball at the enemy Eligor.

“Cendrillon! Kouha!” Violet shouted as the blue crystallised Persona appeared. Cendrillon flew forward a bit and then casted two orbs above Eligor before the two came crashing down on the Shadow. “Cleave!” Violet shouted right after, where Cendrillon slashed the enemy horizontally where the Shadow dissipated.

Joker led the group to the next level. There were three Shadows with two red feathers over their heads, but Joker used his Third Eye to spot that those three weren’t the commander. As he descended the red carpeted stairs, he went across the room and snuck into the next room. He used the stealth to jump from block to block to hide their presence as the others followed behind stealthily. He then found a place without the other Shadows, so he climbed up on a statue before using the grappling hook to swing to the next area. He used the Third Eye again and noted this was the commander. He jumped down and ripped off the mask of the Shadow, revealing another Eligor. 

“Jack o’Lantern! Agi!” Joker shouted, ripping off his mask as he got into an attack stance. Jack o’Lantern appeared and tossed a fireball at the Eligor, going “Hee ho, hee ho!” as he did it. The flames burned Eligor’s chest as it screamed. 

“My turn!” Violet shouted. “Cendrillon, Kouha!” Cendrillon appeared over Violet and slid over a bit. She casted two orbs over the Shadow and struck them in one hit. Violet then ran toward the enemy with her rapier and thrusted them.

“Zio, Captain Kidd!” Skull shouted as the massive Persona on a boat showed up. Captain Kidd shot an electric bolt at the Eligor. As the attack struck, Eligor became paralysed. 

“Zorro, Garu!” Mona shouted as he jumped up. Zorro casted a gust of wind that struck the Eligor on the chest.

The group had a few bouts with Eligor before Joker finally received the second eye. ‘Now the mission was complete,’ Joker thought to himself as he led the group back up the floors as he returned to the area with the swinging scythes. He inserted the eyes into the statue and the eyes immediately glowed, then Joker pulled the lever where the scythes slowed to a stop. Joker ran forward across the platform with the others following him. Climbing the stairways, he entered the next area with more stairs. He climbed through and then turned around to climb up on a statue before jumped past a few platforms before reaching a window.

Joker looked down to make sure everyone was following him. He then turned around and jumped through the window as the others followed suit. Joker immediately knelt down to avoid being detected by Kamoshida and his cronies.

“Okay, we’re in!” Skull announced, his voice at the usual volume despite being in the throne room.

“Quiet down, you idiot!” Mona chided Skull. It was unbelievable what Skull was capable of. Using a loud noise when they were supposed to be stealthy. 

“Whoa, it’s Kamoshida!” Skull exclaimed as he looked down from their corridor.

“And a ton of soldiers,” Panther said worriedly, her face worn out from everything that was happening.

“Look at him…” Violet said hesitantly. She was afraid of being discovered now so she went to her quiet voice.

Down where Kamoshida was, Kamoshida shouted to his army. “How have you not captured the intruders yet?! Get to it!”

“I apologise, my liege,” a soldier said.

“I bet he’d never imagine we’re in the same room as him. But let’s keep going,” Mona said hurriedly.

Joker continued sneaking around until he reached the end of the room where he turned right, the only turn possible and pushed open the door. Then he went down the new area and came across a sturdy, golden door.

“This looks promisin’!” Skull grinned like an idiot.

The group headed inside the area, which had a load of gold coins on the floor, making the ground uneven. There was also a hazy-looking object in the center of the room, floating up in the air.

“Holy shit! What is this place?!” Skull exclaimed. “That Treasure thing has got to be in here.” He looked around, flabbergasted at the room. There was so much gold that they couldn’t see the floor.

The rest walked closer up to the hazy-looking orb. It was floating in the air without a solid form. It looked different compared to the rest of the room. 

“It…looks strange,” Violet commented as she stared at the hazy orb. She felt mesmerised by the orb, though she couldn’t explain how or why. There was something majestic about it.

“Hehe, that’s the Treasure! We finally found it,” Mona chuckled to himself. Excited at finally finding the Treasure, Mona felt a warmth permeate his entire small body.

“You sure?” Joker asked with uncertainty.

“Hold on a bit. I was planning on telling you more once we made it this far,” Mona explained. “Finding the Treasure isn’t enough. We need to make it materialise before we can steal it.”

“W-What do you mean, Mona-san?” Violet asked nervously, looking at the cat.

“Desires have no physical form by nature,” Mona continued explaining. “Hence, we’ll need to make the real person aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they’re conscious that their desires could be stolen, the Treasure will finally show itself.”

“And how would we go about that?” Violet asked curiously.

“We warn them, tell them we’re going to steal your heart,” Mona announced. Proud of this accomplishment, Mona was feeling good now. He was optimistic about the infiltration and stealing of the Treasure.

“So we’re gonna send a calling card?! That’s totally what a phantom thief would do!” Skull exclaimed excitedly, a huge grin on his face.

“Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain! …I think,” Mona said hesitantly but still confident with his explanations.

“Not that indecisiveness again,” Skull groaned. “But this sounds good.”

“Our infiltration route is secure!” Mona called out. “All that’s left is to send out a calling card in reality, then come back to take the Treasure!”

“This is it, huh?” Panther asked nervously. Feeling butterflies in her stomach, Panther was nervous about this whole incident.

“Let’s do this,” Joker said, throwing a fist in the air as he prepared to leave.

“We can do this!” Violet chimed in, looking eager to send the calling card.

“Once we send out the calling card, there will be no turning back,” Mona said. “Let me know when you’re ready. We’ll head back to the hideout and send out the calling card!”

“Let’s go then,” Joker announced to the group as they left the Palace.


	9. Punish the King

“Hello there, everyone… I’m Mr. Hiruta, your biology teacher,” the teacher said. “You must all be shocked with what happened to Suzui-san. It was a shock for me too. Although I can relate to how she felt. Her eyes were devoid of life as they looked upon this sad, hopeless world. Well, I suppose everyone views the world differently. Let’s have a test. You there!” Mr. Hiruta looked over to Akira. “Take a look at this. Between A and B, which line seems longer?”

Akira sat upright and stared at the diagram. There was an angled shape with a line closer to the edge called B and a line further away called A. Without hesitation, Akira answered, “They’re the same.”

“Heh, that’s correct,” Mr. Hiruta said. “It seems your eyes see the truth. This is an optical illusion. Some people see it correctly, some do not. Isn’t it strange that people view the same image differently? Humans don’t see the world as it is. We just process visual information with our brain. How you see the world is nothing more than a trick of the mind... It is merely cognition. There is no proof that the world each of us sees is the same.”

As classes ended, Akira noticed he got a message. Taking out his phone, he noticed it was from Sumire. Quickly, he replied to her.

_Sumire: Hey Senpai. Are you busy right now?  
Akira: No, not really. What’s up?  
Sumire: Umm… Do you want to hang out for a bit after classes?  
Akira: Sure.  
Sumire: I’ll be by the entrance.  
Akira: I’ll see you soon._

Akira packed up his bag and left the classroom. He went downstairs and headed to the entrance where Sumire was already waiting. He walked briskly toward her, when a smile formed on her face as he approached closer.

“Akira-senpai!” Sumire greeted enthusiastically. “How are you?”

“I’m alright,” Akira answered warmly. “How about you? You’re not letting the rumours get to you, are you?”

“U-Um… h-hehe…” Sumire said, losing eye contact and staring at the ground. She didn’t want to tell him that they started rumours about the two of them now, didn’t want him to know what her class was saying about her.

“You are, aren’t you?” Akira sighed. He picked up her chin with his right hand and stared at her in the eye. “What are they saying now?”

Trying to avoid looking at Akira in the eye, Sumire couldn’t resist his grip. She sighed deeply. “W-Well… They’re saying how I’m so cursed that I will bring down anyone I interact with… and… and that I’ll just curse you just by being around you. They’re also saying we’re d-d-dating…”

Akira was surprised. Did these first years really have nothing to do than spread rumours? Sighing, Akira moved his hand from Sumire’s chin and placed it on her head. “It’s alright, Sumire. Don’t worry about the rumours.”

“Y-Yeah…” Sumire said, trailing off. “Um… anyway, would you like to get something to eat? Maybe like ramen?”

“Ramen sounds good. I know a place in Ogikubo,” Akira suggested.

“Sounds good to me!” Sumire said with a wide grin on her face. “Let’s go then!”

Akira led Sumire to the train station and they commuted to Ogikubo by going to Shibuya to transfer to the Line for Shijuku and there, they transferred to another subway to Ogikubo. Akira led the way to the restaurant, where there was a crowd already. The two decided to chat while waiting for a free table.

“How have your parents been, Sumire?” Akira asked casually.

“U-Uh… They’re okay, I guess,” Sumire said, looking away. Head drooped, she didn’t really like talking about her parents; she felt she was a burden to her parents, that she took her older sister Kasumi away from them. In all honesty, Sumire hasn’t had a real conversation with her parents ever since Kasumi passed. She mentioned as much to Akira while they were waiting.

“Oh… I’m sorry, Sumire,” Akira said, embarrassed.

“No, it’s f-fine,” Sumire nodded, trying to assuage Akira. “Look, I think it’s our turn inside.”

“You’re right,” Akira said as the two entered the restaurant. As the two were seated, Sumire sat upright after both Akira and Sumire ordered their ramen.

“Umm… I’ll tell you what happened with Kasumi…” Sumire said slowly. “Um, well, I call her sister but we’re really twins. She’s older though. She always wore her hair in a ponytail with a ribbon and I had my hair down, like now…”

“Yeah,” Akira nodded, showing her that he was listening.

_They had been coming home from practise while it was raining. Sumire had done not as well as her sister, and so she felt depressed._

_“Today was brutal, huh?” Kasumi asked. “Feeling okay?”_

_Sumire shook her head. “It’s not that...” She closed her eyes briefly and reopened them as they continued walking. “Why am I doing so bad? I keep messing up my routine…”_

_“Your growth spurt’s just changed your eye level,” Kasumi interjected, walking in front of Sumire. “You’ll get used to it. Look! You’re as tall as I am now._

_“We practise the same amount…” Sumire said. “But you are the one who always gets first place. I can’t catch up to you, Sumire…” Her voice was dejected as she spoke._

_“You know why? Because it’s my right as the elder sister,” Kasumi said proudly, putting a hand on her chest and her head up as she spoke._

_“We’re in the same grade, though,” Sumire said despondently, not aware of what her sister was implying._

_“Aw, don’t be so down,” Kasumi said as she turned around. “We’ll reach the top of the world together… That’s our dream, right?_

_“You don’t get it…” Sumire started to say. “You’ll never understand how I feel.”_

_“What?” Kasumi started to ask when Sumire walked briskly ahead of her._

_‘Kasumi… If I were like you…’ Sumire thought. ‘Things would be so much better.’_

_“Hey, wait up!” Kasumi shouted as she chased after her sister._

_‘Kasumi’s the one that people want…’ Sumire thought, depressed as she continued walking rapidly. Thinking how everyone wants Kasumi and not Sumire made her feel hurt and rejected, and it was exacerbated by how Kasumi doesn’t seem to understand._

_“Look where you’re going! The light’s red!” Kasumi shouted. “Hey!”_

_A flashback of Kasumi getting first place in a meet was shown in Sumire’s head. ‘The talented one who CAN reach the top of the world…’ Sumire thought to herself._

_“Sumire, stop! Listen to me!” Kasumi shouted. “SUMIRE!”_

_That was when a truck started to drive toward Sumire when Kasumi jumped ahead and pushed Sumire away. Sumire closed her eyes for the impact but when she opened them again, she saw Kasumi lying ahead of her on the intersection._

_“A-Ah… Kasumi…” Sumire said slowly._

“U-Um, that’s pretty much it…” Sumire said, drooping her head as she stopped eating.

“I’m sorry, Sumire,” Akira said as he placed a hand on her soft red hair and patted her a few times. A blush was formed on Sumire’s face. It was tempting to give Sumire a quick embrace, but he wasn’t sure it was appropriate right now. “Why would your parents think you’re a burden? Or blame you for Kasumi passing away?”

“I told you, it was my fault she…passed… She… pushed me out of the way…” Sumire said, shaking her head, feeling her tears about to pour out.

“Sumire…” Akira said slowly. Then he reached out his right arm and pulled Sumire close. “It’s okay to cry, if you need to…”

Sumire put her chopsticks on the bowl and turned to face Akira. She buried her face on his chest and started sobbing, something she hasn’t done since her sister passed away. It was like something broke and leaked from inside. “A-Akira-senpai… I-I’m so s-sorry…”

“It’s alright, Sumire,” Akira said as he patted Sumire on the head a few times. “It really is okay. I know you’re wanted; I want you around.”

Sumire sniffed before making any response. “T-Thank you, s-senpai…” She looked up at Akira with puffy eyes but also a slight smile on her face, like she let go of a monster. “I-I’m sorry you had to see me like this…”

“It’s fine, Sumire,” Akira said. “I’m starting to sound like a broken record saying that.”

Sumire giggled and released her grip on Akira’s shirt. Her face was flushed from embarrassment after what she’d done. Quickly grabbing her chopsticks, she attempted to hide her embarrassment by finishing her ramen. She had ordered the simply delicious ramen, extra large and had almost finished it until her waterworks began. Now she ate the ramen quickly, finishing it within seconds. “Are you done too, Akira-senpai?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty full and I managed to finish everything,” Akira nodded.

“Oh,” Sumire suddenly thought up of something. “Now that I’ve shared my past or well… recent history, you should share something from yours! Like, why did you get a criminal record? I still don’t believe you’re a criminal at all.”

“Heh,” Akira said, chuckling a little to himself. “Well, if you insist… It’s not really all that spectacular, but here goes…”

_That day, Akira had to go home early. He was about to head home when he heard voices._

_“Just get in the car!” A man’s voice came through._

_‘I can hear a man and a woman arguing in the distance…’ Akira thought to himself. “I think they’re just up ahead.’ Akira started to run in the direction of the voices. He was worried what was happening there._

_“How dare you cross me!” The man’s voice shouted._

_As Akira reached them, the woman was struggling against a drunken man. “No…”_

_“Don’t give me that shit…”_

_“Ow! P-Please stop…!”_

_Akira thought the woman was in danger. He quickly ran up to the woman and drunken man struggling._

_“Tch… what a waste of time,” the drunk man muttered. “You think you’re worth causing me trouble, huh?_

_“I-I’ll call the police!” the woman exclaimed._

_“Heh, call them if you want,” the drunk man said smugly. “The police are my bitches. They’re not gonna take you seriously._

_“No… Stop…!” the woman said, still struggling against the drunk man._

_“Someone called the cops, huh?” the drunk man said. He was still trying to push the woman into his car waiting. “Get in the car! Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths and follow where I steer this country!” Then he noticed a high school kid standing nearby. “…What’re you looking at? Get outta my face! This ain’t a show. Get lost, kid. See? This is all because you’re so damn slow! Get in the car!_

_“Let go of her!” Akira shouted, reaching for the drunk man’s shoulder but the man lost his balance and fell on the ground._

_“Damn brat… I’ll sue!” the drunk man yelled at the high school kid. His forehead started bleeding and he couldn’t get the woman into his car for his own desires. He wasn’t going to let the kid get away with this._

_“If you keep this up…!” the woman started to say in a brave tone. “Then I’ll report about the money! Is that fine with you?!”_

_“All I have to say is that you did it on your own, and it’s over,” the drunk man said aggressively._

_“But… I just did as I was told…” the woman said dejectedly._

_“Who do you think I am?” the man asked._

_“No…” the woman said hopelessly._

_“Hey. Make this statement to the cops,” the man said smugly. “’This kid suddenly attacked me.’ Got it? If you even try to say anything else, you know what’ll happen to you, right?_

_“Huh? But—” the woman said hesitantly._

_“This is bullshit,” Akira interjected._

_“Shut up. You’re done for,” the man said angrily. “You’re gonna learn what happens when you cross me…”_

_That was when two police officers approached the three. One started to speak. “Excuse me, folks. We received a complaint about an argument here. Is something the matter?”_

_The drunken man turned around to face the police officers._

_“Oh! It’s you, sir.”_

_The drunken man turned his head toward the woman. “So, what happened. Explain it to the good officer.”_

_The woman was speechless for a few moments before speaking. “That young man suddenly attacked him… He shoved this gentleman to the ground. And this man…got injured…”_

_“It’s as she says,” the man said, turning his head back to face the officers. “Also, make sure you deal with this so my name isn’t mentioned at all. You understand what that means, correct?_

_“Y-Yes, sir!” the officer stammered. “Hey, cuff him!”_

_“Understood!” the other officer said._

_And that was when everything went downhill from there on. When he went to school, everyone already heard the news and were all scattering away from him, even his supposed best friend. His best friend Takeshi saw Akira and backed away immediately, not even listening to his side of the story. Akira felt rejected and depressed with his classmates and friends. At home, he was chastised by his parents and was told he was going to live in Tokyo for approximately a year. They told him he could stay there if he wanted, as he was not wanted for what he’s done, bringing shame to the family name._

“And that’s pretty much it,” Akira shrugged.

“Oh gosh, that’s terrible, senpai!” Sumire exclaimed. “I’m so sorry…”

“It’s alright,” Akira said, looking away. Ever since then, he heard voices related to the incident with the drunk man. He hadn’t mentioned that part to Sumire, knowing she’d just worry about him. He reached out his hand and patted Sumire’s head. “Well, you’re here, so I’ll be fine.”

“Hehe, of course!” Sumire said cheerfully. Her mood had sunk for a while after retelling what happened with her sister, but now that Akira shared his history, she felt like she was finally wanted. Then Sumire’s and Akira’s phones vibrated as they had a new message. It was a new chat message.

_Ryuji: Hey, when are we going to send the calling card?  
Akira: Hmm… We’ll send it tomorrow. Sumire and I are out right now.  
Ryuji: Gotcha!_

“It’s getting late, we should get going,” Akira said as he took out his wallet. “Consider this my treat.”

“A-Are you sure, senpai?” Sumire asked nervously. She had also taken out her wallet.

“Yes,” Akira nodded. “Don’t worry about it.”

The two left the restaurant together and took the subway back to Shibuya where the two separated. As Akira reached home, Sojiro told him to clean up the attic. Walking up the stairs to the attic, Akira started cleaning up his living space. On the right side, he found a plant that was still surprisingly alive. He decided he’ll get some plant fertilisers one of these days.

“Even a dreary room can be brightened up with a little green foliage,” Morgana said. “Let’s take care of this plant so it won’t dry up and wither away.”

Akira started cleaning the bookshelf of the books. There were books of politics, law, and philosophy, which looked difficult to Akira. He took out the Social Thought book as well as a magazine called Yoncha Walker 04.

* * *

The next morning came and Akira attended classes as usual. After the classes, Akira gathered the group to the hideout on the rooftop. It was time to send the calling card. Morgana had jumped out of the bag and landed on the floor. It had been raining so the group stood by the door where there was a covering.

“All right! All that’s left now is to send the calling card and take Kamoshida’s heart!” Morgana said excitedly.

“Couldn’t we have just sent one at the beginnin’ of all this?” Ryuji asked, crossing his arms across his chest. He drummed his fingers on his arm as he looked around the rooftop. It was annoying that it was raining right now.

“It’s not like that,” Morgana replied. “A Treasure won’t stay materialise forever. Once the impression is gone, the Treasure will disappear. It should last around a day, at most.”

“The hell. That’s practically no time,” Ryuji complained. “Anyways, we can send a callin’ card right now, right? Let’s do it and steal that bastard’s heart!”

“Let’s do it,” Akira said, nodding. It was time to finish up the Kamoshida business. Tapping his fingers on his leg, he looked around the group and all of them had eager expressions on their face.

“I’ve been waitin’ for you to say that!” Ryuji said with a fist pump. “Tomorrow will finally be the day.”

“So, we send the calling card in the morning and then carry out the plan by the end of the day, right?” Ann asked for confirmation of the plan.

“Correct,” Morgana confirmed. “The effect won’t last that long. Are you worried?”

“Heh. Waited too long,” Ann said smugly. She was eager to punish Kamoshida for what he had done to Shiho. It was about time they punished the king of the castle.

“I-I’m ready too,” Sumire said. “I don’t have practise tomorrow.”

“Perfect,” Morgana said, nodding at everyone.

“We will do this no matter what!” Ann said enthusiastically, a determined expression on her face.

“So who’s going to write the card?” Morgana asked.

“Leave it to me!” Ryuji quickly volunteered, looking eager. He was so excited for writing the calling card. Tapping his fingers on his leg, he hoped they’d let him write the card.

“Are you sure?” Akira asked suspiciously. “You’re not going to make it obvious that it’s us, are you?”

“Of course not!” Ryuji replied, raising his voice a bit. “I just wanna get him good! Lemme write it, please?”

“It better not have spelling errors in it, okay? The embarrassment would kill me,” Ann said aggressively. She knew how Ryuji was like, what with his low grades that would mean he would make mistakes on the calling card. “And make sure they can’t tell who wrote it!”

“I know, I know!” Ryuji said exasperatedly.

“All right then! Tomorrow it is!” Morgana said eagerly, looking smug. “You better not slack off on this.”

“Let’s get home then,” Akira said, nodding.

As Akira reached Leblanc, he received a message. It was from the chat.

_Ryuji: Man, there’s so much I wanna write on the calling card. It’s kinda tough figuring out what to say.  
Ann: Are you sure you’re really capable of this?!  
Ryuji: Don’t worry, I got it. I even made a logo for us.  
Ann: …A logo?  
Ryuji: Yup. You’ll get to see it tomorrow.  
Sumire: Uh… I’m a bit worried.  
Ann: I agree, Sumire.  
Ryuji: Don’t worry about anything! You guys should rest up. If we screw up tomorrow, we’re totally done for.  
Akira: Don’t mess this up, Ryuji.  
Ryuji: Hey man, trust me I know what I’m doing._

* * *

The next day, Akira and Sumire stood on standby near the board where Ryuji had apparently plastered the calling cards all over. Akira and Sumire exchanged looks before sighing at what Ryuji had done.

“A calling card?”  
“I heard it was already posted by the time everyone got here this morning.”

Ann had just arrived and walked over to the board to read off what the calling card said. “Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust… We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can’t fight back. That’s why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.” 

Ann walked toward Akira and Sumire. As she approached them, she said, “Wow. That was something.”

Ryuji approached the group from the other end. “Not bad, eh?” Ryuji asked. “I looked up a bunch of stuff online for reference.”

“Um… Yeah…” Ann said hesitantly.

“I-It was something all right,” Sumire said, avoiding looking at Ryuji. Her eyes dropped to the ground as her fingers twiddled together. “U-Um, this will be okay, right?

“I know what you wanted to say, but it sounded like an idiot trying to be an adult,” Ann said bluntly.

“Your logo sucks too,” Morgana suddenly said, popping out of Akira’s bag. They agreed to let Morgana come for one day, just to see the result of the calling card. “But it should work nonetheless,” Morgana answered Sumire’s question.

“Did Mr. Kamoshida do something wrong?  
“Does this mean all the rumours are true?!”  
“Wait a sec… Is someone gonna take something from Mr. Kamoshida?”  
“What’s with this weird logo? And who are these Phantom Thieves of Hearts people?”

“Everyone’s getting excited, so it’s all good!” Ryuji said, still optimistic.

That was when Kamoshida showed up and glanced at the board. An angry expression was worn on his face as he clenched his fists. He felt his blood boiling as he looked over at the so-called calling cards. “Who’s responsible for this?!” Kamoshida roared.

“Look at that! A predictable reaction for someone who knows what we mean by distorted desires,” Morgana said proudly, a grin on his face though that was hard to tell on a cat’s body.

“I think it’s hittin’ him pretty hard,” Ryuji said smugly.

“I hope we’ll be alright. What if he comes over?” Sumire asked.

“Did you do this?! Or was it you?” Kamoshida shouted as he turned around to each student gathering by the board. His fists still clenched, he walked over to Akira’s group. “Was it you four?!”

“Whatever are you talking about?” Akira put an innocent expression on his face. “We’ve done nothing.”

Sumire looked away from Kamoshida out of fear of what happened in his Palace. Fidgeting, Sumire started to move to hide behind Akira.

“What are you squirming around for, girl?” Kamoshida leered at the gymnast. “You should be careful around the delinquent.”

“He’s not a delinquent!” Sumire shouted. 

“Oh?” Kamoshida smirked. “Oh whatever, you’ll be expelled soon enough anyway.” Then his Shadow form showed up briefly. “Come… Steal it, if you can!” Everyone felt the security soar to near maximum.

“Judging from Kamoshida’s response, I’m sure we had an effect on this Palace!” Morgana said affirmatively.

“R-Really?!” Sumire exclaimed, clasping her hands together on her chest.

“Hey, what was wrong, Sumire?” Akira asked, out of concern. Tilting his head, he looked at the young girl.

“O-Oh, u-um… I was just a bit intimidated by Kamoshida after everything in his Palace,” Sumire replied meekly. “I-I’m sorry, senpai.”

“It’s all right, Sumire,” Akira said with a soft expression on his face. It was rare to see such an expression on his face.

“Oh, does this mean the Treasure has appeared?” Ann continued on the conversation. “We’ll be able to get it today, right?

“It’s not just today; it’s ONLY today,” Morgana warned the rest. “The impact of seeing a calling card doesn’t last long, and it cannot be repeated. This will be our only chance to steal the Treasure.”

“One day’s more than enough for us!” Ryuji grinned.

The group decided to head directly to the Palace after classes were over. As they entered, they could feel the intensity of Kamoshida’s Shadow. Joker led the group to the lift on the side and everyone entered the lift. It brought them up to the safe room in the Throne Room. Leading the group to the throne room, it was empty inside.

“What the hell is goin’ on? The door’s just sittin’ open and there aren’t any soldiers around,” Skull noted.

“They’re probably all assigned somewhere else,” Mona guessed. “Either way, we win as long as we steal the Treasure! Let’s keep going!” 

Joker led the group straight into the room where the Treasure was located from their last visit. As soon as they entered, Mona was staring at the Treasure with beady eyes.

“Aww yeeaaahhh! The Treasure has appeared!” Mona said with a goofy grin on his face.

“Man, it’s huge,” Skull stated, observing the large crown basking in light.

“You don’t say,” Joker said sarcastically. Though he had to admit it was pretty big, but he wondered how they’d bring it back with them.

“Y-Yeah, it’s… um… something else,” Violet said softly.

“What do you think?! It’s just like I said! Now we can steal it,” Mona said excitedly. “Ahhh, this shine brings tears to my eyes…”

“This kinda pisses me off,” Panther mumbled. “Why is it so pretty? Isn’t this Kamoshida’s desires?”

“T-Treasure…” Mona said, dazed.

“Uh, the cat’s actin’ awfully excited,” Skull said to Joker.

“He is acting pretty suspicious,” Joker said sarcastically. 

“What’s wrong? Is something—” Ann started to say.

Mona suddenly jumped up at the Treasure and clung to the giant crown. “Meeeeeooooooooow! Mrrrrroooowww!”

“That’s not catnip,” Joker said to Mona, hoping he’d get back his senses. Instead, Mona kept meowing and purring on the crown.

“That’s enough, you stupid cat!” Skull yelled at Mona.

Suddenly Mona jumped down from the crown and back in his spot near Joker. “Oh, uh, yeah… Forgive me for displaying such an insolent sight in front of two ladies…”

“You were totally out of character too. What was that all about?” Panther asked curiously.

“U-U-Uh… It’s all right, Mona,” Violet muttered. “But you did act pretty funny there.”

“I couldn’t stop it either. To think I’d be drawn to human desires this much… Doesn’t this prove that I’m human?!” Mona exclaimed.

“How should we know?!” Skull returned the question with his own.

“You guys need to carry it!” Mona commanded.

“All you do is bark orders…” Skull complained. “Still, that was easier than I thought! I thought there’d be some kinda trap.”

“His Palace will disappear when we take this, right?” Violet asked.

“Kamoshida will change too…” Panther said slowly but not upset in any way. She was eager to see Kamoshida’s change after what he’s done to Shiho.

The four humans gathered around the huge crown and attempted to carry it through. It was massive in size and weight, as the crown weighed on the four. Struggling to walk, the four tried to move slowly to the door. When they left the room and descended the throne seat, a familiar voice came through.

“Go, go! Let’s go! Ka-mo-shida!” Panther’s voice cheered.

Kamoshida then knocked the massive crown with a volleyball and the crown flew toward Kamoshida.

“Wha—” Skull exclaimed in shock.

“I won’t let anyone take this!” Shadow Kamoshida smirked. The cognition of Panther had her arms wrapped around Kamoeshida’s neck. “This proves I’m the king of this castle—it is the core of this world!”

“That rat bastard…” Panther said, shaking in rage. “That’s just how he sees me, isn’t it?!”

“Yo, pervert. Were you waitin’ to ambush us?” Skull sneered.

“I just made it easier to find you,” Shadow Kamoshida said. “I’ll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now.”

“That’s our line, you sexually-harassin’ d-bag!” Skull countered.

“What a selfish misunderstanding…” Shadow Kamoshida said calmly.

“How is it a misunderstanding?! You were doing things that you kept in secret from others!” Panther shouted.

“People around me were the ones who kept it secret,” Shadow Kamoshida smirked. “Adults who want to share in my accomplishments, students who have drive to become winners… They willingly protect me so that we all may profit from it.”

“Profit?”

“D-Disgusting…!” Violet spurted out. “You’re disgusting!”

“There are too many imbeciles who don’t understand that!” Shadow Kamoshida said. “Including naïve brats like you and that girl who tried to kill herself!”

“True, she’s a total idiot… letting you manipulate her, trying to commit suicide…” Panther said slowly, in a determined tone. “And I’m even more of a dumbass for not realising that! But no matter what kind of fool someone might be… they don’t need your permission to live their lives!

“Drop the attitude, you mediocre peasant! There is no wrong in using my gifts for my gain!” Kamoshida sneered. “I’m a cut above all other humans!

“N-Never! You are not above anyone else!” Violet shouted.

“’Above’? You mean beneath. You’re a goddamn demon obsessed with your sick desires!” Panther yelled at Shadow Kamoshida.

Shadow Kamoshida smirked as a red aura started surrounding him. “That’s right. I’m not like you!” Shadow Kamoshida said grinning with his arms outstretched and a grin on his face. “I am a demon who rules this world!” Shadow Kamoshida grabbed a hold of Panther’s cognition and transformed into massive slimy being with a crown and two horns on his head. Along with the form, he had an elongated tongue that was silvery. Two sets of arms were on his body, one holding a glass of wine, one holding a golden knife, the other arm holding a golden fork, and the last arm holding a baton.

“Wh-What the hell?!” Skull exclaimed in surprise.

“You goddamn, no-good, shitty brats! Haven’t you been taught not to point at people?! Huh?!” Shadow Kamoshida shouted.

Shadow Kamoshida’s arm holding the baton swiped at Panther but she had dodged by jumping away. “I will get you!” Shadow Kamoshida roared.

“Jack o’Lantern! Agi!” Joker shouted, ripping off his mask as Jack o’Lantern appeared. The phantom Persona casted a fireball and shot it straight to Shadow Kamoshida. “Again, Agi!” Jack o’Lantern casted another firebolt aimed at Shadow Kamoshida’s chest. Shadow Kamoshida winced and used his slaves to toss volleyball to strike Joker.

“Cendrillon! Kouha!” Violet ripped off her mask as Cendrillon appeared. Casting the spell, two yellow orbs showed up above Shadow Kamoshida and came crashing down on him. Shadow Kamoshida attempted to toss volleyballs from his slaves at Violet, but she jumped to the side.

Shadow Kamoshida used his slaves to strike volleyballs at Panther, who had gotten hit this time. Panther ripped off her mask, “Carmen, Agi!” Carmen showed up standing on her man pet and handling another man pet with one hand. She twirled around and casted a fireball at Shadow Kamoshida. It struck Kamoshida on the chest.

“Zorro, Garu!” Mona shouted as he jumped up as his massive Persona showed up. The large Persona then casted a gust of wind that struck Shadow Kamoshida in the face, causing it to wince.

“Captain Kidd! Lunge!” Ryuji shouted as he ripped off his mask. The large Persona riding on a boat took a lunge at Shadow Kamoshida, slashing the slimy Shadow. “Lunge, again!” The Persona lunged at the Shadow.

“Arsène! Eiha!” Joker shouted as he ripped off his mask. Arsène appeared with his dark wings lending him to float and he casted a red aura of a spell on Shadow Kamoshida. Joker jumped to the side before Kamoshida could counterattack.

“Cendrillon! Cleave!” Violet shouted as the blue crystallised Persona slashed Shadow Kamoshida across the chest horizontally. Shadow Kamoshida screamed at the pain. But Violet shouted again, “Kouha!” Cendrillon casted with her arms outstretched and two orbs were seen above Kamoshida before it came crashing down on him.

Then Shadow Kamoshida transformed back to his normal Shadow form. The massive crown had gotten smaller and as the group was about to step toward the crown, Kamoshida ran forward and grabbed the crown before running past them. However, Kamoshida had run to a dead end, which was his balcony.

“What’s wrong? Not running away?” Panther sneered. “Why don’t you run? Aren’t you a great athlete?”

“It’s always been like this. All those goddamn hyenas forcing their expectations on me!” Kamoshida cried out. “I’m doing this all for them! What’s wrong about demanding a reward for that?!”

“Oh, so now you’re makin’ excuses?” Skull said angrily. “We’ll do somethin’ about that distorted heart of yours.”

“You will never be forgiven!” Violet shouted.

“Ugh… “ Kamoshida said hesitantly, still looking over the balcony instead of the thieves.

“Scared? Right now, you’re seeing the same view that Shiho did,” Panther said aggressively. “I’m sure she was scared too. Except she had no choice but to jump. What will you do? Will you jump? Or would you rather die here?” Panther suddenly called out Carmen behind her and had two fireballs in both hands.

“Wait! I beg you… Just forgive meeee!” Kamoshida cried out.

“Shut up. I bet everyone told you the same,” Panther said with a sinister expression on her face. “But you… You took everything from them!” That was when Carmen sent out a large fireball aimed at Kamoshida, though the fireball struck the pillar near Kamoshida who had screamed.

“I accept defeat… You want this? Take it,” Kamoshida said with a meek expression as he tossed the crown at Joker, who had caught the crown. “Go ahead and finish me off… You do that and my real self will go down too. You have that right since you’ve won…”

Carmen had casted another fireball as Panther had clenched her fists in anger. The fireball flew straight at Kamoshida but made a turn that passed right by Kamoshida.

“If his mind shuts down, he can’t admit his crimes,” Panther said, still with the anger expression on her face.

“I’ve lost,” Shadow Kamoshida fell to his knees. “You’re through when you lose. What am I—What am I supposed to do now?”

“Atone for your sins,” Joker replied. 

“All right… I will leave now and return to my real self,” Kamoshida said as he started fading from the Palace.

“Just so you know, we don’t have time to waste,” Mona commented. “This place is about to collapse!”

The group started running out of the Palace, leaping behind crumbling rocks. Mona used his catness to jump from Panther’s head then Skull’s then Violet’s before landing on Joker’s shoulder who had been in the lead. Skulli felt a weakness in his leg and tripped over himself. Everyone stopped by him.

“A-Are you alright, Skull?” Violet asked out of concern.

“Yeah, just not used to this,” Skull replied before getting up.

Just as Skull got back up, a pillar fell on the spot where Skull had tripped over. The group continued running along the hallway before making it to the entrance. Then they hurried over to the exit and ended up back in the real world.

“That sucked…” Ann said, suddenly feeling tired.

Ryuji picked up his phone and, in a shock, he told the others to check the Nav. Akira took out his phone to check. “The destination has been deleted.”

“So we can’t go there anymore,” Ann said.

“What about the Treasure?!” Mona asked.

Akira whipped out a medallion from his pocket. “I guess it’s this.”

“What the,” Ryuji said.

“A medal? Wait, where’d that crown go?” Ann asked.

“What’s goin’ on?” Ryuji asked.

“U-Um… I think the crown IS the medal…” Sumire said slowly.

“It means that was the source of Kamoshida’s desires,” Morgana said. “To him, this medal is worth as much as that crown we saw in the Palace. So yes, Sumire.”

“An Olympic medal…” Ryuji said. “So the perv kept clingin’ to his past glory and couldn’t let it go.”

“But this means Kamoshida’s heart might have changed, right?” Ann asked uncertainly.

“Probably,” Morgana guessed uncertainly.

“Our expulsion is on the line here!” Ryuji shouted at Morgana.

“This is my first successful example for me too!” Morgana said. “However, there’s no doubt this has affected Kamoshida’s personality a lot. The entire Palace disappeared, after all.” 

“T-That’s true,” Sumire nodded as she understood Morgana’s explanation. It seemed they should have done a good job. Looking at Akira and Ryuji, she hoped they’ll be okay.

“Why are you so uncertain about everything anyway?!” Ryuji shouted at Morgana again.

“W-Wait, it’s not Morgana’s fault,” Sumire said, coming to Morgana’s assistance.

“Thanks, Sumire,” Morgana said caringly. He appreciated Sumire’s attempt to help him. “I’m alright though no matter what that ape has to say about me.”


	10. Bonding wIth The Faith

“This is really nerve-wracking,” Ryuji complained to Akira during their lunch break. “I hope we’ve succeeded.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Akira replied.

“Oh, it’s you two,” a familiar voice said as they approached the duo. Turning his head, Akira noticed it was his homeroom teacher Kawakami. “I’m just telling you that study hall is being held in place of PE.”

“Wait what?!” Ryuji stammered as he faced Kawakami. 

“Don’t say you heard it from me, but Mr. Kamoshida has put himself in a suspension. Principal Kobayakawa went to see him a few times but he was saying nonsense things. Your expulsion is also on hold, or so I heard.” Then Kawakami left the two students talking.

“Did we really do it? Did we?!” Ryuji stammered as he bombarded questions to Akira.

“Calm down,” Akira said exasperatedly. “I said I’m sure it’s fine. There’s the change we’re looking for.”

“Y-Yeah, you right man,” Ryuji said, attempting to calm himself down. “Anyway, lunch break is nearly over so I’ll see you around.”

“See you,” Akira said as he returned to the classroom. As the day flew by, Akira let out a yawn as it ended. He took out his phone and noticed he had a message. It was from Sumire, so he quickly checked the message.

_Sumire: Hey senpai. How are you?  
Akira: I’m fine. How about you?  
Sumire: I’m good! Um… Would you like to meet up again?  
Akira: Sure thing.  
Sumire: Meet you at the entrance!_

Akira packed up his things into his bag and headed out of the classroom. Stopping by the cafeteria, Akira bought two yakisoba pan just in case the two of them got hungry. Akira turned around and walked to the entrance where he saw the redhead standing there.

“Hope you haven’t been waiting long,” Akira said as he approached Sumire.

“Oh no, senpai,” Sumire shook her head. “I just got here myself.”

“So where would you like to go today?” Akira asked gently.

“How about Inokashira Park?” Sumire suggested.

“That sounds good,” Akira nodded as the two left the school building. They took the subway to the park and took a stroll around the park. They stopped by a bench where Akira and Sumire took a seat, Sumire twiddling her fingers on her dark pink skirt.

“Are you nervous, Sumire?” Akira asked curiously.

“Uh, n-not really,” Sumire said earnestly. “Well… Maybe.”

Akira’s hand reached out and patted Sumire’s soft red hair. “It’s okay, Sumire. I’m here for you.”

Sumire flushed deeply. “Thank you, senpai! You’re really too good for me…”

“Why do you say that?” Akira asked curiously. He didn’t see himself as anything good so he was a bit baffled that Sumire would say that.

“Umm… well, you always know what to say and how to make me feel better,” Sumire confessed, her head drooping down in embarrassment. She shook her head to herself, trying to stop blushing.

“Really? I just try my best,” Akira replied. “Well… I’m just glad it helps you feel better.” He patted Sumire on the head again, causing her to blush once more.

“A-Akira…senpai!” Sumire stuttered. “You’re doing this on purpose!”

“Am not,” Akira shook his head earnestly. “Maybe we can go for a run around the park if you’d like.”

“Oh! That sounds good,” Sumire nodded.

“You’d be faster than me though, considering you’re an athlete and all,” Akira replied.

“Well, we’re not racing so it’s fine!” Sumire said.

The two students got in a ready position before starting off as a jog before the two sped up to running around the park. They ran around the park a few times, with Sumire in the lead being an athlete as Akira guessed it but the two did a few more laps before Akira fell on a bench.

“I’m beat,” Akira said, leaning back on the bench. “You’re really good, Sumire.”

“Hehe, not really!” Sumire said with a smile. “Umm, should we grab something to drink before either of us dehydrates?”

“That sounds good,” Akira nodded as he got up.

The two left the park and went to a nearby vending machine. They both got water for best hydration and both had downed the bottle in two or three gulps before tossing the bottles in the recycling bin. Sumire stretched her limbs and Akira had started doing the same. After the stretches, Akira reached out and patted Sumire’s soft hair again.

“Eep!” Sumire yelped. “U-Uh… Sorry. You caught me off guard.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Akira chuckled. “Would you like to grab a bite to eat?”

“Oh! That sounds great! I know a sushi restaurant in Ginza and it’s not a conveyor belt one either!” Sumire said enthusiastically. “Let’s go!”

The two took the train to Shibuya where they transferred to the Ginza line and rode about twenty minutes to get to the Ginza station. As they disembarked the train, Sumire led Akira through a few alleyways and streets before reaching a fancy looking restaurant. Akira followed closely behind as there seemed to be increasing pedestrian traffic at this time. Arriving at the restaurant, Sumire and Akira stood inside the entrance for their table. As they stood, the two exchanged small topics before being called in for their table. Sumire told them to sit them by the bar for a novel experience for Akira. They ordered a variety of sushi from salmon to eel.

“How have you been, senpai?” Sumire asked curiously.

“I’ve been okay,” Akira answered with a soft expression on his face. “What about you, Sumire?”

“I’m okay!” Sumire answered happily. “Um… Well, I still haven’t talked with my parents yet…”

“Take it slow,” Akira said soothingly, a soft smile on his face.

The soft expression on Akira melted Sumire’s heart for some reason. Not understanding what was happening to her, Sumire’s face flushed as she turned away from Akira. “I-I’ll try,” Sumire stuttered. “Um, senpai? Why are you so nice to me? Am I the only…one you treat this way?”

“Well, I care for one,” Akira answered casually.

“Is that all?” Sumire asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

“You’re my friend,” Akira replied, with a soft expression on his face. “You know I don’t have any friends.”

“Yes… I’m sorry, senpai,” Sumire said, hanging her head low. “I was really insensitive… I know you don’t have any other friends. I’m really grateful for your kindness, senpai!”

Akira smiled at the redhead. His heart started racing and fluttering inside that he felt it could burst out. He’d rather not burst his chest or Sumire would have to deal with the aftermath. He wasn’t sure why he felt this way; it was a foreign feeling to him, but he will have to accept it for what it was. Reaching out a hand to Sumire’s head, he eventually settled on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay,” Akira said, trying to calm down the redheaded girl.

“Umm… I-If you say so,” Sumire said, trying to keep eye contact with Akira. “I believe you! Thank you, senpai!” She bowed her head in gratitude to Akira who only rubbed the back of his head. “Hehe, I feel like you help me so much and I can’t do anything for you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Akira said, smiling. “Besides, you do help me already. You’re my friend and you accept me for me instead of fleeing at the sight of me.”

“Of course, senpai! You’re…also my friend, my first friend!” Sumire said cheerfully.

“You too, huh? That’s right, we’re pretty similar,” Akira said, nodding. “But that works out for us.” He put a hand on Sumire’s head and patted a few times, feeling a warmth permeate his entire body. Facing Sumire, Akira took her in his arms and embraced her tightly. Resting his head on top of Sumire’s bed of red hair, Akira stroked her back. “I’m really glad I met you.” Then he released Sumire from his grip. “Sorry.”

“U-U-Uhhh… U-U-Um… s-senpai? What…was that about?” Sumire asked meekly, blushing furiously. Twiddling her fingers, she stared down at the floor to avoid looking at Akira. “B-But I-I’m also glad to meet you too!” Sumire stuttered out. Feeling her heart racing and pounding, she was feeling very nervous around Akira now.

“Ahaha, I’m sorry, Sumire,” Akira scratched the back of his head. “I know, I know, it was sudden. I’m not sure what came over me.”

“I-It’s okay, s-senpai,” Sumire said, still blushing furiously and feeling meek after the embrace.

“I’m sorry, Sumire,” Akira said, feeling guilty that she was still that nervous. Making a mental note not to embrace Sumire out of the blue, Akira took a peek at Sumire’s face. Her face was still red, and she was fiddling with her fingers in front of her skirt.

“I-I’ll be fine, senpai!” Sumire nodded furiously, as if trying to affirm that herself. She shook her head repeatedly and then looked at Akira, who was glancing at her as well. “I’m fine now!” A huge smile was on the girl’s face.

“That’s good!” Akira said, a sigh in relief came over him.

“Well, what should we do no—” Sumire started to ask when she got distracted by a woman being handled roughly by a seemingly drunk man. “Oh no, what should we do…”

Akira looked in the direction that Sumire was looking at. He saw the same scene as he had back in his hometown, triggering traumatic thoughts in his head. Thoughts of his attempt of intervening for a harassed woman in his hometown flooded Akira’s brain. Gripping his pants, Akira closed his eyes as he felt a headache come on. 

_Akira had entered his classroom since he was being sued for ‘knocking down a gentleman’. He looked around the classroom where it had been bustling with conversation prior to Akira entering. The classroom went silent as soon as he did. Akira looked around for his good friend Takeshi but he was avoiding Akira. Looking disappointed, Akira sighed when the announcement came on._

_“Will Akira Kurusu please come to the principal’s office? I repeat, will Akira Kurusu please come to the principal office.”_

_Akira gulped and stood up to leave the classroom. Before he exited, he glanced back behind his shoulder and saw everyone whispering behind his back, including Takeshi. Hanging his head low, nothing could make Akira feel any worse as he closed the classroom door._

_Trudging along the hallway, Akira didn’t really bother looking for the principal’s office. He figured he would know when he got there. His head drooped; Akira kept wondering what had gone wrong with his life. He had his considerably good friend Takeshi, a good small circle of friends who supported him no matter what. But now that he got sued, Akira was being treated like someone who didn’t belong with anyone. Walking up to the principal’s office’s doors, Akira suddenly felt anger. He knew what they were going to tell him: he was expelled. What school would want a student with a criminal record? Nowhere, that’s what._

_“Akira Kurusu,” the principal said. He was a small little man dressed in a black suit and sitting behind his desk. His hands were on the desk as his expression was solemn. Akira knew it was about expulsion, and the principal didn’t even have to say a word “I’m sorry to hear it, but we cannot keep you here at our school under these circumstances.”_

_Akira shrugged. Already jaded from what happened with his friends and classmates, Akira could hardly care, if any care was left in his system._

_“You are now expelled from this school from here on out. Please leave,” the principal said solemnly._

_‘This was all his fault, that damn drunk,’ Akira cursed the drunken man from earlier. He lost his education, his friends, and his family. Biting his lower lip, Akira returned to his classroom and grabbed his belongings without a word before leaving the school._

And that was how Akira ended up in Tokyo. He clutched his head tightly, glancing over at Sumire who looked worried. “I’m fine, don’t worry,” Akira said.’

“Are you sure, senpai?” Sumire asked out of concern. 

“Yeah… Just… I’m okay, Sumire,” Akira evaded bringing up his trauma from his hometown.. “Anyway, we need to go help that lady out.” As Akira said that, he felt his body frozen in place, unable to move forward or even backward. Glancing at Sumire, she seemed to have understood what he wanted so she moved forward to the drunken man.

“U-Um, excuse me, you’re hurting this woman here,” Sumire stuttered. “Please stop.”

“Ooh,” the drunk man said leeringly. “You cute little thang would be even better for me!” The man suddenly released his grip on the woman and grabbed Sumire’s wrist, who tried to resist but to no avail. 

“L-Let go, p-please,” Sumire winced in pain. She didn’t like where this was going but she couldn’t do anything by herself right now. Glancing at Akira, it seemed he was getting angry right now. Maybe he’d be able to save her…?

Akira suddenly stopped being immobile and dashed to the drunk man. He wasn’t about to let his friend be taken away from him in front of his own eyes. Grabbing a hold of the man’s arm with an iron grip that felt like crushing bones, he then raised it up until he released Sumire’s wrist but Akira still tightly gripped the drunk man’s arm. “Did you not hear these two ladies telling you to stop?”

“Y-Yes,” the drunk man struggled to not slur his words. It was obvious the man was trembling and trying to get his arm freed from the crushing grip. Then he quickly turned around to face Sumire and the woman while still shaking terribly. “It was my own doing, my apologies for bothering you. I will leave now.” He started walking away, though awkwardly as a drunk man can walk.

“T-Thank you s-so much,” the woman said, bowing to Akira and Sumire. “You really saved me. Thank you so much!” And with that, the woman left the premises, leaving Akira and Sumire alone again.

‘T-Thank you, senpai,” Sumire bowed her head. “I couldn’t do anything by myself…”

“You did your best,” Akira said, patting Sumire on the head. “You were fine. I shouldn’t have let you go to a drunk guy by yourself after all… I’m sorry, Sumire.”

“Oh no! Don’t worry about it, senpai!” Sumire waved her hands in front of her rapidly. “It’s not your fault. I’m glad you were able to rescue me. Kind of pathetic of me, huh?”

“Not at all,” Akira shook his head adamantly. “You’re fine as you.”

Sumire flushed deeply. “T-Thank you, senpai.” Looking away, Sumire twiddled her thumbs in front of her skirt but from the corner of her vision, she looked over to Akira who was looking at her curiously.

“Are you okay, Sumire?” Akira asked with concern in his voice.

“Huh?! Uh, yeah, I’m fine,” Sumire looked up at Akira and nodded quickly.

The two continued chatting as the sun started to set into the horizon. Sumire stared into the sunset before glancing over at Akira, who was also staring into the sunset. Her heart started to race as she watched Akira. Clutching her chest with one hand, she turned to face Akira. 

“Umm, it’s getting late,” Sumire said meekly. “We should head home now.”

Startled, Akira looked up and turned to face Sumire. “Ah, right. Lost track of time.”

“It was fun, senpai,” Sumire said cheerfully. As the two walked to the subway station, they returned to Shibuya together and went their own ways. As Sumire rode the subway to her home, she pondered why she had to see Akira again. Something inside of her wants to see Akira as much as she could. Feeling a blush creep on her face, she quickly covered her face with both hands.

* * *

As soon as Akira arrived home, Sojiro called out to him. Stepping inside to allow the door to close as to prevent the cold from seeping in, Akira looked over to Sojiro with his apron on and standing over the coffee maker.

“Hey you, come over here,” Sojiro called out. “Let’s talk for a bit.”

Akira walked up to the counter where Sojiro was. Unsure what the older man had in store for him, Akira put up his guard before he sat on the stool by the counter. “What is it?”

“Don’t get wary, it’s just small talk,” Sojiro said. “Just wait there, I’ll be done soon.” Sojiro started cleaning the coffee makers and then wiping down the counter before cleaning the kitchen on the inside. “So, how’s school? You’re not making any new trouble, are ya?”

“Heh, everyone asks me that,” Akira shrugged. “Whatever. No, I’m not causing trouble.”

“Good, because I have to report to your probation officer twice a month,” Sojiro replied. “It’s already a pain in the ass to write this, so don’t go making me write more crap. This society is kept in check by laws and authority figures!”

“I get it…” Akira said quietly, not wanting to upset Sojiro. But he wasn’t creating any trouble at school or anywhere. The only thing he’s done was change Kamoshida for the better, or so he believed he had. Still, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Good,” Sojiro nodded. He looked like he was about to speak when his phone rang. “What’s wrong?” he spoke into his phone. “Yeah, got it. The usual, right? I’ll be there soon.” Then hung up the call and pocketed his phone. “You see, I’m pretty busy in my public and private life. Now if you can help me out…”

“Sure thing,” Akira answered immediately. He didn’t mind helping Sojiro from time to time. Figuring knowing how to brew coffee may come in handy sometime down the road.

“Really? Well, I’ll make your time worthwhile,” Sojiro. “So, now I have to head out. I’ll lock up so you can just go back to your room.”

Akira shrugged and climbed up the stairs where Morgana had been waiting on the counter by the staircase. Walking directly to his bed, he dropped his bag on the floor and flopped on his bed. He was exhausted. The short run with Sumire took a lot out of him, considering he didn’t usually run regularly. Wondering what Sumire was doing, he pondered if he should send her a chat message. That was when his phone vibrated. Taking out his phone, Akira glanced at it. It was from Sumire.

_Sumire: How are you feeling, senpai?  
Akira: I’m…sore, like really sore. I’m not even kidding.  
Sumire: Hehe! You should massage your legs for a bit before going to sleep.  
Akira: Got it. Was something wrong?  
Sumire: Hmm?  
Akira: Oh, thought something happened so you messaged me.  
Sumire; Oh no, I was just checking on you, thinking you may not have run as much as usual…  
Akira: Thanks for the consideration. I’ll be fine. I’ll be sure to massage my legs before sleeping.  
Sumire: Got it, senpai!_

Akira stretched and started massaging both his legs, massaging slowly for each part of his leg. Until he was satisfied with the massages, Akira didn’t give up rubbing through his legs while Morgana watched from his spot. Then when it came a bit late, Morgana’s voice carried through.

“You should sleep,” Morgana suggested to Akira. “It’s getting late and you still have school.”

“Yeah, got it,” Akira replied as he fell on his bed and pulled the covers up before falling asleep.

* * *

The next morning Akira woke up at the usual time and prepared to leave for school. Worried about Sumire after the incident with the drunken man, Akira pulled out his phone and sent her a message.

_Akira: Good morning, Sumire. How are you doing?_

Akira pocketed his phone again and left the café for the subway station. He commuted his way to school and while he was on the subway, Sumire had responded to his message.

_Sumire: Good morning, senpai! I’m good. How are you?  
Akira: That’s good. I was worried about you after what happened yesterday with the drunkard…  
Sumire: Aww, that’s touching. But I’m fine!  
Akira: I’m glad to hear that._

He pocketed his phone again and closed his eyes until it was his stop. Getting off the subway, he walked to his transfer that would bring him to Aoyama-Itchome where the school was. Akira entered the school building and looked around for Kamoshida. Still absent. 

‘We must be doing something right,’ Akira thought to himself as he whistled while walking to his classroom. That was when he heard whispers spreading around him as he walked.

“Look, the criminal must be in a good mood to be whistling like that.”  
“Shhh, he may notice you and punch you in the face!”

Sighing, Akira continued walking. As he reached his classroom, Akira leaned his head on his hand as he listened to the lecture lazily. He wasn’t interested in the lesson, but he still listened to it with one ear. Staring out the window, Akira wondered what happened to Kamoshida.

‘Oh well, I’m sure things turned out well,’ Akira thought to himself as his gaze wandered to the lesson. It was about mathematics or division to be specific. He understood the material enough to know the answers.


	11. Phantom Thieves of Hearts

Akira kicked off his blanket and sat straight up. It was the final day of Kamoshida’s threat of expulsion. Sure he was nervous, but there was nothing else he could do. Quickly changing into his uniform, Akira commuted to the school where he learned there was a sudden morning assembly at the gymnasium. Looking around the gymnasium, Akira spotted Sumire near the gymnasium stage but there was no way to get her attention. Giving up on that, he noticed Ann not far from him and neither was Ryuji. 

“What’s with the sudden morning assembly?”  
“I bet it’s about that girl that jumped the other day.”  
“They don’t have to tell us not to commit suicide.  
“Then there was that weird calling card too, so I guess the teachers are panicking.”

Akira groaned as he listened to the whispers. He noticed Ann looking distressed, most likely due to those whispers about the morning assembly. Shrugging, he looked around the gymnasium for their principal to make the announcement already.

“Let’s begin the school-wide morning assembly,” Principal Kobayakawa said into the mic. “As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day. Thankfully, we have been informed she has pulled through, but it will take some time before she recovers. Everyone here has a bright future ahead. I implore you to rethink the importance of life and—"

That was when the gymnasium door opened and shut as footsteps approached the group. All the students turned around to see Kamoshida with his head drooped and arms hanging in front of him.

“Mr. Kamoshida, what’s the—” Kobayakawa started to say.

“I…have been reborn,” Kamoshida said slowly. “That’s why I will confess everything to all of you.” Then he moved to the front of the stage, still head drooping.

“Huh?” Ann questioned to herself.

There were whispers abound as Kamoshida stood on the stage. “I have repeatedly done things that were…unbecoming of a teacher. Verbally abusing students, physically abusing my team, and… sexually harassing female students. I am the reason why Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!” He fell onto his knees and started sobbing. “I thought of this school as my castle. There were students I sentenced to expulsion, simply because I did not like them. I will, of course, rescind those. I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrible acts. I will take responsibility and kill myself for it!” Now Kamoshida dropped his head on the ground with his hands on the side of his head.

Whispers started up again. “Mr. Kamoshida! Please get off the stage for now!” Principal Kobayakawa rushed to Kamoshida on the floor.

“Everyone, please return to your classes!” A teacher shouted at the students gathered around.

“I—” Kamoshida started to say.

“Don’t run, you bastard!” Ann shouted from her spot. “Shiho’s still alive even after everything made her want to die! You have no right to run from this!”

“You’re right… I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes…” Kamoshida said, eyes closed. “I did horrible things to Takamaki-san as well. In return for giving Suzui-san a position on the team, I… I tried to force her into having relations.” More whispers started up again. “As of today, I will resign from my position as an instructor and turn myself in. Someone, please call the police!”

“Wow,” Ryuji said in shock.

“That was something else,” Sumire said while watching and embracing herself from the impact. She was also shocked with Kamoshida’s confession. It looked like the change of heart worked. Everyone was bound to be happy now. And… Senpai will be free now.

“This morning assembly is over now! Return to your classroom!” A teacher shouted at the students gathered around.

The students didn’t budge and continued whispering.  
“Did Kamoshida really just confess to everything?”  
“Isn’t that like what the calling card said?”  
“Does this mean the phantom thieves are real?”  
“Kamoshida turned out to be one sick bastard.”

“Return to your classrooms at once!” The teacher repeated himself.

From the side, Akira gathered with Sumire, Ann and Ryuji and watched the scene unfold. They decided to gather around before separating to their classes. Sumire looked on with a hopeful expression on her face.

“His heart really did change…” Ann said, flabbergasted.

“Seems like it,” Ryuji kicked the ground with his shoe. “But was this really for the best?”

“I think so,” Sumire replied, nodding her head. “And you guys won’t be expelled!”

“I agree with Sumire,” Akira said. “We got off the expulsion.”

Then three groups of students approached the group, causing a confused look to appear on Ryuji’s face. “Huh? What the?” Ryuji asked as the group reached them.

“Takamaki-san, I’m sorry!” Mishima bowed down.

“What?” Ann asked confusedly.

“We all knew… but pretended we didn’t,” Mishima said guiltily. 

“Takamaki-san, I had you all wrong. I’m sorry that I spread rumours about you…” one tall female student said.

“I didn’t know at all… That Kamoshida was forcefully pushing himself on you. It must have been so hard for you…” the other student said.

“I’m sure there’s a ton of people who want to apologise to you. We’re so sorry!” the tall student said.

“No, it’s okay. It was the same for me…” Ann said contemplatively. “Besides, that’s all in the past now.

“Hey, you there! Return to class at once!” A teacher yelled at that corner.

“I can’t apologize enough for what I did to you,” Mishima bowed deeply to Ann. “I swear I’ll make it up to you someday.

“Well, looks like Kamoshida wasn’t the only one to have a change of heart,” Ryuji observed as the group left the gymnasium.

“I’m just glad he apologised for Shiho, that’s all that matters,” Ann said with a breath of relief.

“Yeah, you better tell her,” Ryuji said.

“Yeah, I will,” Ann replied, looking around. “We should get back to class now.”

“Yeah, we really should. Um, see you all later,” Sumire said as she returned to her classroom first. The rest followed suit.

* * *

“Man, I totally freaked out. He really did have a change of heart,” Ryuji said proudly as the group gathered in the rooftop, including Morgana. Sumire sat by Akira near the others while Ryuji was on a chair. “And we were lucky his mind didn’t get messed up either! This was an A-plus job!”

“So does that mean they won’t have a mental shutdown even if their Palace disappears?” Morgana observed. “I see. So we need to persuade the Shadow without killing it, and then return it to its real self! Then our targets won’t undergo a cognitive collapse if we do that!”

“So we can do this without the bad stuff? I’m so for it!” Ryuji said.

Ann approached the group. “Do you have to be so loud?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ryuji said. “So how’d it go? With Shiho and all.”

“She regained consciousness!” Ann said in an overjoyed tone.

“For real?!” Ryuji exclaimed.

“It was just only a short time, but I got to speak to her,” Ann said as she fell in a crouching position, sitting on her thighs. “I was able to tell her that Kamoshida admitted to what he did! Shiho… she told me she was sorry… Looks like she found out that I was flirting with Kamoshida for her sake. And here I was, trying to apologise to her.”

“Kamoshida’s at fault for everything,” Morgana tried to reassure Ann.

“Shiho’s mom’s going to transfer her to another school when she gets out, what with all the sexual harassment and suicide attempt will affect her,” Ann said.

“It’ll get lonely,” Ryuji said.

“I think it’s for the best, it’ll be hard if she stays here.”

“I agree,” Sumire nodded. “And she’s alive… you can see her anytime.” She said with a softer tone.

Akira looked at Sumire who had a sad look on her face. ‘She must be thinking of her sister,’ Akira thought to himself. Aloud, “Are you okay, Sumire?”

“Huh?” Sumire looked at Akira. “Oh, uh, I’m fine… I’ll be fine.” She nodded rather forcefully.

“Huh,” Ryuji stated then trailed away from Sumire and Akira. “Anyway, one other thing about the castle. Why was Kamoshida the only one who had that Metaverse thing?”

“It isn’t necessarily limited to him,” Morgana explained. “It’s something anyone could have if their heart became warped from their desires.”

“Anyone…” Sumire said thoughtfully. She wondered if she herself had a Palace but shook her head rapidly from the thought. It was too premature to assume she’d have a Palace. But her heart was pretty distorted since losing Kasumi.

“Wanna check it out?” Morgana asked.

“N-Not right now. We should lay low for a while. People are still talkin’ about Kamoshida,” Ryuji refused.

“Whoa, Ryuji saying to lay low,” Akira said. 

“Then again, it’s totally impossible for anyone to find out what we did at his Palace,” Ryuji said a smug expression.

“There are already rumours surrounding you guys with Kamoshida, like how you got together and threatened Kamoshida with something close to physical violence,” Ann said.

“The hell?!” Ryuji exclaimed.

“People aren’t going to easily believe that phantom thieves really exist,” Ann said. “The calling card is being treated like a prank by someone who knew what Kamoshida was doing.”

“That’s fair. We did it and I still don’t completely believe it myself,” Ryuji said. “Anyway, let’s check how much this medal can be sold for. We should pawn it as soon as possible.” Ryuji then took his phone out and navigated through the browser to check for the medal’s worth. “Oh, one bite! Thirty thousand yen?! That’s all a gold medal’s worth?”

“We should lay low and keeping an eye on the situation,” Morgana said. “However, you dragged me into this. It would be nonsense if we don’t celebrate this successful mission.

“Yeah, yeah, we can blow this dirty money on something fun,” Ryuji said.

“Discussions among phantom thieves are to take place over luxurious food. How about it?”

“Wait—” Ann started to say. “Eh, it’s fine. There’s somewhere I want to go then.”

“Where’s that?” Ryuji asked, looking toward to Ann’s direction.

“It’s a place Shiho and I have been wanting to go for a while,” Ann replied with a smug expression. She knew exactly where she wanted to go.

“That sounds good!” Sumire chipped in, clapping her hands in front of her chest.

“Yeah, that’s fine with me,” Akira nodded. He looked at Sumire again who looked chipper again. That was a relief for Akira; he was worried about Sumire from earlier.

“I leave it to your discretion as well, Lady Ann,” Morgana said graciously.

“I’ll call and check the prices later then,” Ann said.

“When should we go? Tomorrow?” Ryuji questioned the group.

“How about the last day of the holidays?” Sumire suggested.

“Then… the 5th, on Children’s Day,” Ryuji grinned.

“So, who’s going to sell this?” Ann asked.

“Leave that to us. We know a store that’ll buy anything. Don’t we, Akira?” Morgana said with a grin on his cat face.

“You…do, senpai?” Sumire asked cautiously as she turned to look at Akira.

“Uh… I do? Well… I suppose I do,” Akira said, scratching the back of his head as he felt Sumire’s stare at him. “It’s nowhere too dangerous, don’t worry, Sumire. It’ll be fine.”

“Okay… If you say so,” Sumire said, slowly turning away from Akira. “But you better not be lying to me, senpai!”

“I’m not,” Akira said earnestly. “Don’t worry.” He reached out a hand to pat Sumire’s head a few times before withdrawing his hand again.

“Well, I’ll leave that to you guys then,” Ann said.

The group chatted some more before they returned home. As Akira reached the café, he got a message on the chat on his phone.

_Ann: Is that gold real? When did it get inside his Palace…?_

“No, that one is a fake. It’s just a by-product of his cognition. The real medal should still be in his possession,” Morgana explained.

_Akira: This one’s a fake.  
Ryuji: Wait, you’re telling me Kamoshida still has the real one?  
Ann: Who cares? What’s important is that we changed his heart.  
Sumire: Besides, if we took the real thing, that’d be stealing.  
Ann: Yeah! I also doubt he’d be proud of that medal anymore.  
Ryuji: We don’t gotta worry about selling that medal off if it’s a fake! End of story!  
Sumire: Yeah! Goodnight, everyone._

* * *

Akira headed out of Leblanc and took the subway to Shibuya where he went to the Airsoft shop. Every time he entered the store, he felt an intimidating aura emanating from it. Gulping, Akira walked up to the counter holding the bag containing the medal in one hand.

“I need you to buy this,” Akira said, trying to put on a brave voice, dropping the bag with the medal inside.

“What? A gold medal? Why would you have this?” the shopkeeper inquired. “We don’t buy fake or stolen goods, kid.” He paused for a moment or two. “Hold on a moment. Lemme see it.” He looked up a few details on the laptop he had in front of him and then stood up to face the kid. “I’m not gonna ask where you got this, but I’ll give you thirty thousand yen.”

“That works,” Akira answered.

“It’s almost time,” the shopkeeper said. “Here, take this with you. It’s a thanks for sellin’ me that medal. But it’d be best not to open it. Just bring it here with you next time you come back here.

“Understood.”

“Good, you’re quick to understand the circumstances.”

“They’re here.”

That was when two uniformed men came into the store. Akira looked to the side and saw their intimidation. The two uniformed men stepped up to the counter as Akira stepped aside but hadn’t left the store yet.

“Munehisa Iwai, yes? There are a few matters we’d like to discuss with you today,” one uniformed man said.

“Go, kid,” Iwai said the Akira as Akira stepped to the side.

“Do you have any idea why we’re here?” the man said.

‘I dunno, lookin’ for evidence? You tell me, Mr. Detective,” Iwai replied snarkly.

“Watch your attitude!” an aggressive detective said, slamming his hand on the counter.

“Well, are you guys gonna search me? Go on, do what you gotta do,” Iwai said with a smug expression.

“What was that?!” 

“An upstandin’ citizen’s supposed to cooperate with the cops, right?” Iwai continued talking with a smug tone of voice.

“You sure this lead was legitimate?” the other detective asked.

“I could’ve sworn it was…”

“Can you two hurry up? I got a business to run here,” Iwai said.

“You bastard…” the vulgar detective said. Then he turned to face Akira. “Hey, you! What’s in that bag? Show me!”

“The kid’s just a regular ol’ customer. You can check the tapes if that’ll convince you,” Iwai interrupted. 

The last sentence shocked Akira. He did not want to be around when the detectives see him with the gold medal. Turning around, Akira’s heart was pumping as he tried to leave the store.

“I won’t let you get away that easily, show us the bag!” the vulgar detective yelled.

“Uhh, I gotta go now,” Akira quickly said, making up an excuse. 

“Hey, remember you’re talking to a kid here,” the other detective said. “Remember, he’s not the one we’re here for.”

“Well, see you, kid,” Iwai said as Akira departed the shop.

Akira let the curiosity consume him as he peeked into the bag. It was as he figured, a model gun that looked dangerously close to a real one. Why Iwai had him carry something like this was beyond his comprehension. But he did remember he was invited to return to the shop with the model gun. With that, Akira returned to Leblanc and went to his room directly.

* * *

In the morning, Akira rolled on his back before slowly removing his blanket off of him and sat up in bed. It was the day of their celebration for a successful mission in the Metaverse. Akira changed into his casual wear of a white V-necked shirt under a brown jacket and blue jeans. He received a message from Ann to meet at Wilton Hotel.

Akira got up and let Morgana into his bag but zipped up the bag tightly and then left the café, turning the sign to “open” outside before heading to the train station. He boarded the train going to the Wilton Hotel and arrived at the restaurant area where the buffet was held. He noticed Sumire and Ryuji standing somewhat apart by a pillar. It looked as though they couldn’t come up with a topic of conversation. Quickly walking over to them, Akira waved at the two.

“Have you been waiting long?” Akira asked.

“Oh no, not long,” Sumire replied slowly.

“Nah man, you’re good,” Ryuji grinned. “Ain’t this fancy?”

“You can say that again,” Akira nodded. “But don’t.”

Sumire giggled. “Yeah, it looks really fancy.”

“Sorry, sorry,” a familiar voice came from behind Akira. Ann showed up in her casual of a red jacket over a blue and white dress with black tights underneath. “I know I was the one who told you guys to come here too and I’m the last one to arrive. But let’s go grab our table.”

The group went to a rather large table where they decided where to sit. Akira sat down on the long couch where Sumire quickly took a seat next to him. Ann and Ryuji took the opposite side of the couch. As soon as the group sat down, Morgana popped his head up from the bag. “I can see why Lady Ann chose this place!”

“Quiet you, pets aren’t allowed,” Akira chided the cat.

“Sorry, sorry, just grab me some food too,” Morgana said before ducking back in Akira’s schoolbag.

Akira got up with Sumire and went to the buffet table to grab a few of the food. Though for Sumire, she grabbed the biggest plate and piled on various food. Akira grabbed a few fruits and rice with chicken and fish. The two returned to their table and Ann and Ryuji left the table to grab their food. Akira set down the smaller plate for Morgana and unzipped the bag.

“Oh, this is joyous!” Morgana exclaimed, though in a soft voice to avoid people hearing him meow. “That’s a lot of food you got there, Sumire.”

Sumire blushed immediately. “I-Is not. This is my normal amount of food!”

“It’s fine, Sumire,” Akira reassured the girl.

Ann and Ryuji returned to the table with their plates, Ann with plates full of only dessert, and Ryuji had only meat. The two sat down and slowly settled their plates on the table in the middle. Ann immediately started eating a piece of cake and stuffing it in her mouth. “Oh, this is soooo good!” Ann said in between bites. Ryuji stuffed the meat into his mouth and said, “This is so heavenly!”

“Did you two really just get only dessert and meat?” Sumire asked, flabbergasted. 

“Of course, Sumire! These desserts are to die for,” Ann replied in between bites. “This is a famous hotel after all!”

“I don’t know about what you guys are eating,” Sumire shook her head before taking a bite. “But the food is very good!”

As the group ate their food, they chatted about various topics mostly regarding Kamoshida. Akira had finished his plate and noticed Sumire had done so too. Thinking about getting more food, he glanced up at Ann and Ryuji too. They were also done with their plates.

“We good on time?” Akira asked.

“Oh crap, we only have fifty more minutes!” Ann exclaimed. “I still have to try out their entire dessert menu! I’ll be back!” Ann said as she shot up from her seat and rushed to the buffet tables. Ryuji followed suit while Akira and Sumire sat there to reserve their table. When the two returned, Ann had more cake on her plates while Ryuji had even more meat.

“Really?” Morgana asked in disbelief. “More meat and cake!”

“This is a once in a lifetime event! I gotta eat the high-quality meat!” Ryuji exclaimed.

“I said it before, but I have to try their entire dessert menu!” Ann exclaimed as well while digging her fork into a slice of cake.

“Umm, well, why don’t we get some more food, senpai?” Sumire asked, turning to face Akira.

“Sounds good to me, let’s go,” Akira said as he stood up alongside Sumire. The two departed for the tables as Akira stopped by the rice dishes along with Sumire following along behind him. “Let’s get some of each.”

Sumire nodded as she put a pile of rice on her extra-large plate. That was when Akira and Sumire overheard two adults talking about Kamoshida. Leaning close to them but at a distance, they tried to listen to the conversation.

“Ah, right. That teacher at Shujin Academy was caught doing such indecent acts. Really shameful.”  
“And they still haven’t managed to solve those terrible psychotic breakdown episodes, have they?”  
“I wish they wouldn’t let themselves be distracted by such a tawdry scandal.”  
“Maybe it’s a sign of how peaceful this country is. I do pity those Shujin students though.”

Akira felt disgusted with the conversation. He looked at Sumire who also had the same expression on her face. Patting her on the back, Akira moved to the next dish, which was a tower of chocolate. As Akira was putting the chocolate on his plate, he heard more conversation about Kamoshida.

“When you look into it, he’s just an ex-athlete who overestimated himself. He should have accepted his life and done his job as a teacher.”  
“It’s not even an incident we can take seriously. The whole story is pretty ridiculous. We shouldn’t look into it, but we can just let the low-ranking scrubs do it.”  
“Hmm? Oh well, he’s going to be arriving soon. Let’s not keep him waiting so let’s go.”  
“What’s he gonna discuss with the higher-ups? Well, must be more important than lunch.”

Akira sighed. ‘These people don’t understand what Kamoshida did…’ He thought to himself. Then he moved along to the fish dishes where there was more conversation about Kamoshida. Sumire had piled up more chocolate than expected before moving along to Akira.

“Wait, so the ratings for the news were that good? I guess it’s because of that teacher who sexually harassed his students, huh? Wasn’t it Kamoshida?”  
“It’s all on how you frame it. You’ve got to cater to the idiotic public. Ratings soar when you show them crude, sensational news, and make it easy to understand.”  
“By the way, do you think these ‘sudden changes of heart’ might be real?”  
“Well, that’s—hmm?”  
“So, because he had a sudden change of heart, he just confessed to all his crimes?”

Akira piled on the last dish and looked over to Sumire who was following behind him closely. The two returned to the table where Ann and Ryuji were almost done with their food. Sitting down, Akira began eating his food along with Sumire.

“Man, you guys got a lot of food,” Ryuji commented.

“Better than just getting a bunch of meat,” Akira countered.

After a while, Akira and Sumire were almost done with their food. But for some reason, Akira felt he was approaching his limit. Leaning back, he looked at Ryuji trying to finish his meat while Sumire was steadily eating her large plate. Unable to refrain from a burp, he let a small one out.

“You two really got a lot of food,” Ann observed. “You should help them out, Ryuji.”

“Me? What about you?” Ryuji replied.

“Oh no, I’m waaayy too stuffed,” Ann waved her hands in front of her face.

“Stuffed with cake,” Ryuji scoffed. Then he turned toward Akira and Sumire. “Well, let’s get this started.”

After a few minutes, everyone finished the dishes they brought back from the tables. The food was delicious as Akira patted his belly while Sumire tried to cover up her abdomen. Ryuji and Ann just laid back in their chair.

“Oh crap… I ate too much… I gotta use the bathroom!” Ryuji exclaimed in pain.

“I…do…too…!” Morgana yelped in pain while he was inside Akira’s bag. “Please…carry me…gently…”

“Well then, you two ladies, I’ll be escorting these two to the bathroom,” Akira stood up with Ryuji and grabbed his bag with him. “Stay safe, you two.”

After riding the elevator to the bathroom, Ryuji came out of it like a new man and Morgana peeked his head out of the bag. Ryuji was stretching in the elevator lobby as he turned to face Akira. Stopping his stretches, he faced Morgana. “Did you really use the bathroom there, Morgana?”

“What of it?” Morgana answered defensively. “And I can’t believe you actually threw up there!”

“Pshhh,” Ryuji said dismissively, waving a hand in his face. “Anyway, do you remember what floor the restaurant was on?”

“Well, we came up here to use the bathroom, so we must go down,” Akira answered.

Ryuji pressed the down button when he heard voices approaching and saw a group of men in black surrounding a bald man who looked intense. The group of men walked up to the elevator, pushing aside the other customers along with Ryuji and Akira. The other men pushed Ryuji aside and pressed a button by the elevator.

“What the hell was that about?” Ryuji countered, which resulted in being pushed back.

“Stay back,” one of the men said.

“Did they change the customer care or something here? Starting a daycare?” the main bald guy asked to no one in particular. Then the elevator arrived, and the group disappeared into the elevator.

“Man, what the hell was up with that,” Ryuji muttered as he went to press the down arrow to recall the elevator again.

Suddenly a headache started coming on for Akira. Putting a hand on his temples, he tried shaking his head a few times to shake off the headache, but it still persisted. ‘Ugh, what is up with this…’ Akira thought to himself.

“Hey, you okay man?” Ryuji asked out of concern, looking closely at Akira.

“Yeah, just a bit unwell, but I’ll be fine,” Akira nodded, removing his hand from his head. “Let’s get back to the girls.”

As Akira and Ryuji arrived back at their table, Ann and Sumire looked pretty downcast. Akira sat down back in his seat beside Sumire and noticed she had tears in her eyes. Patting the redhead on the back, Akira tried to let Sumire know he was here now. Ryuji was concerned with Ann’s moodiness as well. 

“Hey, what happened here?” Ryuji asked, out of curiosity and concern both.

“You’re all late!” Ann shouted at Ryuji.

“Hey, what the hell?” Ryuji retaliated. “We just got back!”

“Ugh,” Ann muttered. “You can tell them, Sumire.”

“U-Um… A-Ann-san bumped into a woman with a f-full plate and the w-woman dropped her plate then blamed it on Ann…” Sumire started. “T-Then she said we’re just a bunch of kids…” Wiping her eyes from the fresh tears, Sumire avoided looking at Akira even though she knew he was staring. “U-Um… I-I’ll be fine…”

“Goddamnit, that bitch!” Ryuji cursed rather loudly.

“I’m sorry, Sumire,” Akira mumbled.

“I-It’s okay,” Sumire said, looking at Akira and flashing a slight smile for him. She didn’t want him to worry too much. “I-I’ll be fine. It’s…it’s nothing that important.”

“Even still,” Akira said, placing a hand on hers. “I’m here now.” He wanted to protect Sumire as much as he can, from the world and the society, especially from their schoolmates.

“We encountered some assholes too,” Ryuji said as he flopped down on his chair. “They were blocking the elevator and acted like some entitled assholes.” Then he had a sudden thought. “Hey, Morgana?”

Morgana popped his head out of the bag. “Yeah?”

“Anyone can have a Palace, right?” Ryuji asked in a determined voice. He leaned forward in his chair.

“Anyone with a strong distorted desire,” Morgona replied. “Why are you asking this?”

“I was thinking, if there are more of these assholes like this, we should change their hearts,” Ryuji suggested. “What do you guys think?”

“You want us…to continue being phantom thieves?” Ann asked. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Looking around, she leaned back in her seat. “Well… they did make me feel pretty crappy. I’m down for it.”

“Well… I guess I’m up for it too,” Sumire said uncertainly. She looked at Akira who was looking back at her. “Um, I’ll be fine, senpai.”

“Thatta girl,” Akira said as he moved his hand to pat her head a few times. Then he turned to face Ryuji. “I’m down for it.”

“Well then, you’re all under my tutelage now,” Morgana announced, as he puffed up his chest. “We will be the best phantom thieves ever!”

“How should we look for new candidates?” Ryuji asked excitedly.

“A celebrity? Crooked politician?” Akira tossed around ideas. He didn’t give them much thought but figured they made sense anyway.

“Umm…” Sumire started to say.

“What is it, Sumire?” Akira asked, turning around to look at Sumire.

“I can see if I can get some potential candidates from my dad’s workplace,” Sumire suggested meekly. “But there’s no promises. There might not be anyone with a Palace there.”

“That helps,” Akira nodded, patting her on the back.

“That’s wonderful!” Ryuji exclaimed.

“Well, we ran out of time, but this was worth it,” Ann announced as she got up. “We’re now the Phantom Thieves of Hearts!”

As the group dispersed, Sumire lagged behind as she grabbed onto Akira’s shirt bottom. Her eyes were staring at the floor. Her face was flushed lightly as her heart raced slightly. “Umm… senpai?”

“Yeah?” Akira turned around to face Sumire. “What is it? Did something happen?”

“O-Oh no,” Sumire shook her head. “Um… Thanks for letting me join t-this, senpai!”

“It’s no problem, Sumire,” Akira said with a smile on his face, which was rare.

The two dispersed from each other as Sumire returned to her house. Her parents were still sitting in the living room. Her father Shinichi Yoshizawa was reading the newspaper at the dining table while her mother Akane Yoshizawa was cleaning the kitchen after their dinner.

“Oh, are you home now, dear?” Akane asked as she turned around to Sumire returning home. 

“Yeah, I’m home now, mom, dad,” Sumire bowed her head as she took off her shoes. “Umm… did you two already eat dinner?”

“Oh yes,” Akane answered with a smile. “Are you still hungry, dear?”

“Oh no, we had a huge buffet,” Sumire said, waving her hands in the air for emphasis. “I’m actually pretty full!”

“Oh, that’s great,” Akane said fondly. “Isn’t that right, honey?”

Shinichi put down his newspaper. “That is great. How was it with your friends?”

“It was pretty good,” Sumire replied. She remembered when Akira put his hands on hers after they returned from the bathroom and flushed at the flashback. “U-Uh… It was due to a really close friend… um… He’s really good to me…”

“Oh? He? Who is this boy?” Akane said smugly. 

“He’s just a good friend!” Sumire suddenly changing the wording. She did feel Akira was close, but on further contemplation, he may not feel the same way. Thinking that made Sumire feel depressed but it was better than having false hopes. “Um… but his name is Akira Kurusu.”

“Akira, Akira,” Akane said contemplatively. “Well, I hope you two get along splendidly.”

“T-Thanks, mom,” Sumire flushed again and hurried to her room. 

Sumire flopped on her bed and rolled to her side. Surprised, she was able to hold a normal conversation with her parents, or more like her mother but it was better than before. It didn’t last too long, but she felt it was an accomplishment. Feeling herself falling asleep, she slowly closed her eyes and hugged her pillow.


	12. Study Session

As Akira fell asleep in his bed, he felt himself fall into the Velvet Room once more. Wondering what Igor had in store for him this time, Akira felt himself awaken in some form or way as he entered the Velvet Room. Igor spoke as soon as he went up to the bars.

“First off, I’d like to congratulate you,” Igor praised Akira, looking the usual.

“To think our master would give words of praise…” Justine said serenely.

“You better treasure this moment, inmate!” Caroline said aggressively as ever.

“You have met allies who share your ideals, and you have found your place in reality. The time has come. Your rehabilitation will begin soon,” Igor said.

“What rehabilitation?” Akira asked the long-nosed figure.

“I will explain it to you now. You have a special potential. However, that must be refined into a useful power. It may be weak now but refining it shall grant you the strength to stand against the coming ruin. That is the rehabilitation cast upon you,” Igor explained.

“What coming ruin?” Akira asked again.

“There are various means you may gain the power to resist the ruin,” Igor said, ignoring the question. “Fighting shadows and gaining experience is one way. The fusion process I taught you is another.”

“This is all possible due to our master’s guidance, inmate!” Caroline slammed the laser on the bars.

“Though it may be presumptuous of us, we have words of wisdom too,” Justine said serenely.

“When you’re out in reality, you better hone your relationships with those you have contracts with!” Caroline said.

“Spending time with those people will lead to the cultivation of your relationships,” Justine explained.

“If you’ve got time to waste, you’d better visit your contractors, inmate!” Caroline yelled.

“That is another source of power to evade the ruin that our master mentioned,” Justine said.

“The time has come. Return to your brief moments of rest,” Justine said as he felt himself falling back asleep.

* * *

On the next day of classes, Kawakami had a special announcement for the class. Akira leaned forward on his desk, resting his head on his right hand as he stared absently into the window. He was half-listening to the lesson, but the rest of his concentration was worries about Sumire.

As Kawakami droned on, she went to her announcement. “Like you heard last week, gym class has been cancelled today. Instead, I’m to give you some guidance. The gist is, don’t go around talking about the incident. That’s all. The police are still investigating Mr. Kamoshida, so I can’t say anything.”

She looked downcast. “But as a teacher, I’m ashamed for not noticing a student was suffering like that…” Kawakami looked disappointed. “I’m not defending him, but as a colleague, he seemed…like a normal person. Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real. I guess people have multiple sides to them…” Then she suddenly perked up. “Oh, I just remembered something I learned about psychology. They say that humans have several different personalities hidden in their subconscious."

Akira sat straight up at the sudden topic.

"Oh, I’m not talking about multiple personality disorder. These personalities can be a different gender or age from you,” Kawakami explained. “I mean, if you think about how gods and monsters in myths were based on the human image… If you actually saw one of those personalities with your own eyes, it might look like a monster. Oh? You all seem more alert than usual. Did I finally talk about something that interests you? Anyway, I’m just saying what I heard. It just feels I finally understand what I learned long ago.”

During the lunch break, the phantom thieves gathered around the staircase by the classroom. Akira, Ryuji, and Ann were already there as Sumire arrived last as she was a first year. She had also finished her lunch before hurrying over to the group meeting.

“It ain’t much, but we’re gettin’ more and more postings on the Phantom Aficionado Website,” Ryuji said as Sumire joined them. “‘I wanna make my friend apologize for returning the stuff I lent him.’ Ugh, deal with it yourself!” Ryuji said disgustedly.

“Wait, those girls…” Ann started to say as two girls stepped out of the classroom.

“You know that Phantom Thieves rumour about stealing Kamoshida’s heart? I wonder if that’s true…” a young girl said to her friend.

“It’s got to be made up. Do you seriously believe they exist?” the girl’s friend said incredulously.

“But look what happened to Kamoshida…”

“He probably just couldn’t hide it after that girl tried to kill herself.”

“Yeah, you might be right. I guess there’s just no way they really exist.”

“More importantly, it seriously sucks that our school is gonna be known for stuff like this!”

“I hope it won’t affect our college entrance…”

The two girls left, and Ryuji looked disappointed as he watched them leave. “That’s prolly a normal reaction for now, but… they’ll see soon enough! If we can take care of two or three famous guys, people’ll have to believe we exist!”

“I don’t know about that…” Sumire said slowly, her eyes cast downwards.

“It’ll be okay,” Akira said, patting Sumire on the head a few times.

“So about those big shots? We don’t have any leads, do we?” Ann asked Ryuji. “There’s also that rumour about you two threatening Kamoshida…”

“I’ll keep an eye out for any info for any big shots that might be comin’ around,” Ryuji said.

“I’ll keep looking too!” Sumire said, trying to sound optimistic.

“And I’ll try to dig up some dirt online,” Ann volunteered.

“We went and founded the Phantom Thieves, but we can’t even find a target…” Ryuji said disappointedly. “I guess sometimes things just won’t go the way we want it to.”

In the principal’s office, a short-haired girl walked up to the principal dressed primly. She brushed her hair behind her ear as she stood up straight. “Excuse me,” the girl said. “Did you wish to see me, Principal Kobayakawa?”

“You saw the state Kamoshida-kun was in, didn’t you?” Kobayakawa countered with a question. “It’s almost as if his personality completely changed. Something is definitely wrong here.”

“I’m not sure I follow…” the girl said.

“From what I’ve heard, it appears as though some students were meddling in his business. If they did something to him… who could it be?”

“Are you saying there are students that caused Mr. Kamoshida to change?”

“That’s what I want to know. Even if it takes probing into student matters. I would like you to look into this for me.”

“It is true there are rumours regarding Mr. Kamoshida, but… Do you mean all of this talk about those Phantom Thieves?”

“It is undeniable that Mr. Kamoshida has changed in some way and I’d like a grasp of the cause. This will ensure that I handle the mass media and police in the correct fashion.”

“Oh…”

“I will continue speaking to Mr. Kamoshida myself. Unless you find whoever did this, these rumours will likely never die down. Don’t you agree? You have been at the top of your class since day one. Your conduct is good, and teachers favour you. I could write you a recommendation for any college of your choosing, Makoto Niijima.”

“Th-Thank you,” Makoto said meekly.

“Your lineage must certainly play a part in this greatness.”

“Your sister is still young, yet she holds an admirable position at the Public Prosecutor’s Office, no? If something disappointing were to happen, that wouldn’t reflect very well on your sister… Do you understand?

“…Yes.”

As they returned to class, Akira felt his phone vibrated. He sighed, knowing it was most likely Ryuji starting a group message. He took out his phone and checked the messages.

_Ryuji: The police are really here. I saw ‘em at the entrance.  
Ann: I saw them too! They were talking to the teachers.  
Ryuji: That change of heart is seriously amazing, ain’t it?!  
Ann: I hope they don’t find out we’re responsible.  
Should we turn ourselves in?  
Ryuji: Hell no!  
Sumire: Senpai…?  
It was a joke, a joke.  
Ann: But haven’t there been rumours going around about how you guys threatened Kamoshida?  
Ryuji: Our world Kamoshida shouldn’t know anything that happened to him, at least if Morgana is to be believed.`  
Sumire: Still… I’m worried…  
Ryuji: We did what was right. Don’t freak out over some label.  
Ann: You’re right.  
Ryuji: I can’t wait to keep living this double life! Anyway, Akira, we’re gonna be counting on you!_

As Akira put his phone away, Mr. Ushimaru, the social studies teacher called out to Akira. “Hey, Kurusu! Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone’s talking to you?!” Then right after, he tossed his chalk at Akira who merely dodged it by moving to the side.

“Whoa! That was an epic dodge!”  
“I can’t believe he dodged Ushimaru’s throw… is he some kind of ninja?!”

“Tch. Whatever, moving on,” Ushimaru said as he returned to the lesson.

At the end of the day, Akira picked up his bag and was about to leave the classroom when Mishima approached him. He looked nervous with his hands in his pockets as he walked up to Akira.

“…Hey,” Mishima said. “Have you seen that Phantom Aficionado Website?”

“What site?” Akira asked in return.

“I started the website,” Mishima said with a smile. Then he leaned in on Akira close up. “Um… You guys are the Phantom Thieves, aren’t you?!”

“Give me some space,” Akira said, backing away a few steps.

“Oh, sorry. Although, if things really are as I believe, I should keep it a secret,” Mishima said. “Kamoshida used me, and I did some terrible things to you guys. This isn’t much of a way for me to apologise for it… But if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know!”

“This is a misunderstanding,” Akira persisted.

“Well, that’s all I needed to say…” Mishima said. “There are tons more evil adults out there. But I’m sure the Phantom Thieves will do something. They cannot let this end after just one target. That’s why I wanted to make a forum where people could post their problems. There are probably a lot of people who have high hopes for the Phantom Thieves. So I have implemented a poll on the site. ‘Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves or not?’ I will work on this forum so it’ll be packed with a lot more supportive posts!”

As Mishima left, Ryuji, Ann and Sumire ran up to Akira. Ryuji said first, “We heard all that. It was a bit awkward tryin’ to figure out when to walk over here.”

“So that forum is Mishima-kun’s…” Ann said contemplatively.

“Did he find out our identities?” Sumire asked with concern in her voice.

“It should be fine, he said he wouldn’t tell anyone,” Akira reassured Sumire.

“We should have a little chat about this later,” Ryuji advised. “Anyway, we need to look for a new target.”

“And we have to stay sharp until we manage to find one,” Ann said.

“Oh CRAP,” Ryuji suddenly interjected.

“What?” asked Sumire.

“Don’t we have an exam comin’ up?” Ryuji asked in a panic.

“Judging by that reaction, I’m guessing you’re going to struggle again,” Ann said disappointedly.

“Hey, you’re no better! All you’re good at is English!” Ryuji countered.

“Better than being bad at every subject!” Ann retaliated. “Anyway, I’m going to head off now.” Ann departed the classroom.

“Same here,” Ryuji said as he followed Ann to leave the classroom.

“Umm, do you want to study together, senpai? I know we’re not in the same class or year…”

“Oh, sure thing, Sumire,” Akira smiled at the redhead. “Should we go to the library or the diner?”

“I think the library suits us fine,” Sumire nodded.

The two friends moved to the library where the moment they entered, there were stares and whispers abound. Sumire looked down on the floor, feeling tears well up in her eyes. “Umm… maybe w-we should go to the d-diner…”

“Are you worried about the whispers?” Akira asked gently.

Sumire only nodded her head, tears welling up in her eyes. Looking away from Akira and the other schoolmates, she wanted to get away from this place already. The pair left and took the subway to Shibuya where the diner was. Arriving at the diner, the two were shown to a table deeper inside. Seated across each other, Sumire took out her mathematics textbook and her notebook along with a mechanical pencil and eraser.

“Umm… let’s start with math,” Sumire said nervously.

“That’s fine with me,” Akira smiled. “I’m pretty good at math.”

There were butterflies in Sumire’s stomach as she felt nervous being alone with Akira. She wasn’t even certain why she was feeling nervous; it wasn’t like it was her first time being alone with him. Looking down at her mathematics book, she tried to concentrate on the problem in front of her instead. About to point out a question, Sumire looked up to see Akira staring at her.

“U-Uhh… senpai?” Sumire asked nervously. “Is there something on my face?”

“Not in particular,” Akira answered straightforwardly. He then twirled his pen with his fingers as he peered down at Sumire’s textbook. It was about eliminations and substitutions, which was pretty simple for him. Reaching out to Sumire’s textbook, he felt like she was watching.

“Hm? Something up?” Akira asked curiously.

“Um… no, not really,” Sumire said, blushing slightly as she avoided Akira’s glance. Her heart was racing as the butterflies feeling intensified in her stomach. “Umm… should we get started?”

“Sure thing,” Akira nodded, resting his head on his hand.

Sumire looked down at her textbook while holding her mechanical pencil in one hand. The problem was to find out how many tickets were sold to an audience of two hundred fifty attendees where tickets for adults were twenty-three hundred yen and children were fifteen hundred yen, where the total revenue amounted to four hundred thousand eight hundred four and six hundred yen. Sumire wrote in her notebook for ‘a’ being adults and ‘c’ being children. Slowly, Sumire wrote down _a + c = 250_ in her notebook. Then underneath it, she wrote _2300a + 1500c = 484,600_. Looking up at Akira, she looked uneasy.

“Umm… is that it so far?” Sumire asked nervously.

“Yes,” Akira said affirmatively. “Keep going.”

Sumire’s face had a frown on as she looked down on her notebook and textbook. “Umm…” She then wrote down _a = 250 – c_ before she looked up to see Akira watching her. “A-Am I doing something wrong?”

“Oh no, I was just watching how you work out the problem,” Akira shook his head. “Continue on.”

“Umm, okay…” Sumire said hesitantly as she looked back down at her notebook. As she was about to write something, she felt a hand on hers. Looking up, she noticed Akira had a strange expression on his face. “Uh, yes?”

“Why don’t we order something first? You should be hungry right now,” Akira suggested.

“Ah, yeah, I’m a little hungry,” Sumire nodded.

Akira nodded and waved over a waitress who came over with two menus. After looking over the menu, Akira ordered a Nostalgic Steak, medium rare while Sumire got a Surprise Sando, as she was not too hungry, with both ordering a Frui-Tea and water to go with their meal. As the waitress left, Sumire looked down on her notebook again, tapping the piece of paper with her pencil. She flipped the pencil around and wrote 2300(250-c) + 1500c = 484,600 then looked up at Akira.

“Uh, i-is that it?” Sumire asked nervously, feeling that Akira was watching her.

“It’s working splendidly,” Akira replied with a sly smile.

“With that look, I can’t believe you mean it!” Sumire pouted, putting her pencil down.

Just that moment, the waitress came over with a tray carrying a plate of sandwiches, a plate of steak, and two Frui-Tea. The waitress set the plates and glasses by the respective person before leaving the table. Sumire put her pencil down and picked up a sandwich, chomping on the sandwich while Akira started slicing down the steak with a fork and knife that came with the dishes. The steak was still pinkish-red as the blood seeped out with each cut.

“This is good,” Sumire said in between bites.

Akira picked up a piece of the steak and put it into his mouth. “Yeah, and this steak is pretty juicy too.”

“You eat it medium rare too, senpai?”

“Yup.”

The two finished their meal and resumed the study session. Sumire picked up her pencil again and started writing on her notebook, the next equation being 575,000-2300c + 12500c = 484,600. Below that, she wrote 575,000 – 800c = 484,600. Then looking up at Akira, Sumire looked uneasy and a bit stuck on the problem.

“Umm… what is the next step?” Sumire asked meekly.

“Just solve for the unknown variable. Try doing what you did earlier with figuring out what a was,” Akira attempted to instruct Sumire. He moved his hand to the notebook and with one finger, demonstrated moving 575,000 value to the other side.

“Oh! Thanks, senpai,” Sumire smiled again.

“I like it when you smile,” Akira casually complimented.

With that sentence, it sent Sumire into a shock with her face beet red. She dropped her pencil and tried to cover her face when Akira’s hand went up and touched her cheek. He made a soft caress before chuckling to himself.

“You’re mean, senpai!” Sumire pouted.

“You’re cute,” Akira teased, with a sly smile on his face. He removed his hand from her face and stuffed it in his pocket.

Sumire’s face turned redder than before, if that could happen, as both hands went to cover her face. “You’re really mean, senpai!”

Akira laughed. “You’re so fun to tease.”

“You’re really mean, senpai,” Sumire pouted again. Then she picked up her pencil again. “No more staring now!”

“Aww, that’s cruel,” Akira continued to tease the redhead. “You really are cute though.”

“Hmph,” Sumire said, avoiding Akira’s eye contact while trying not to blush. “You won’t get away with just a compliment!”

“You’re almost done though, with the problem,” Akira smiled gently.

“Oh! That’s right,” Sumire nodded and picked up her pencil again. She started writing -800c = -904,000 and below that, wrote c = 113. She figured she should check her work, so she wrote a = 250 – 113 = 137 therefore there were a hundred and thirty-seven adult tickets sold and a hundred thirteen tickets sold.

Looking up, she saw Akira dozing off lightly at his seat with his head leaning against the wall. She smiled softly at the sight, wanting to treasure this moment. Being quiet, Sumire put down her pencil and took up her Frui-Tea, sipping at it softly as she watched Akira sleep.

In a few minutes, Akira woke up and saw Sumire smiling at him. He felt his face flushed, scratching the back of his head as he smiled sheepishly. “Uh, sorry about that, Sumi,” Akira apologized with a bow of his head.

Sumire registered the nickname and blushed furiously at having a pet name. Warmth permeated her chest as she stared down at her Frui-Tea. “U-Uh… what was that?” Sumire could only utter out those words.

“I’m just apologizing, Sumi,” Akira said, smiling.

“I-I mean the… S-Sumi…thing… w-what’s that?” Sumire asked, blushing even more furiously.

“Oh, that? Just a little nickname, unless you mind…” Akira said, trailing off to leave room for interruption.

“Oh no, I don’t mind!” Sumire said, bringing up her hands in front of her defensively. Then in a lower tone, she said, “It’s… It’s cute…”

“I’m glad you think so… Sumi,” Akira added with emphasis.

That sent Sumire flying into the blushing zone. Her face red as a tomato and her heart racing, Sumire started panicking about how to respond properly to Akira. But her head felt like it was spinning.

“Are you okay?” Akira asked out of full concern.

Sumire started fanning her face with her hands, looking away from Akira. “I-I-I’m f-f-fine… F-Fine!” Sumire stammered, her face still beet red.

“You don’t look fine,” Akira observed. “Drink some water,” he said as he pushed a glass of water toward her, to which Sumire took the glass of water and drank it in one gulp.

“T-Thanks,” Sumire muttered, her blush fading a bit. “You really are mean, senpai.”

“Why would you say that?” Akira asked with a slight frown.

“You like teasing me so much,” Sumire pouted. She checked the time, and a shocked expression was seen on her face. “Oh, I have to get home now! My parents will be worried since I didn’t tell them I was going to be late.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Akira said slyly. “But that’s right, don’t worry your parents.”

“I’m so sorry, senpai, and I was the one who suggested to do a study session,” Sumire said, bowing her head deeply. She packed up her books and pencil and stuffed them into her bag. “I’ll text you later!”

“Text you later, Sumi!” Akira said, waving to the fleeing redheaded girl.

As Sumire left the diner, Akira sat back in his seat. He waved a waitress to signal for the check. With the check, Akira paid for the meal and left the diner himself. Heading back to Leblanc, he plugged in his headphones to listen to a few songs on the commute home. Akira quickly unplugged the headphones before entering Leblanc lest Sojiro would give him an earful. Upon entering, Sojiro looked stern.

“Here, the key to the place,” Sojiro said, tossing something small and shiny toward Akira, who caught it on his first try. “I can’t be here waiting for you to get home every day. So you lock up the place.”

“Got it,” Akira said, turning the key around in his hand.

Decided to brew some coffee as practice, Akira made one cup and tried it. It wasn’t bad for him and felt energized from one cup, realizing he could bring in some of the coffee into the Metaverse. With that in mind, he took out a travel mug from his bag and brew a bit more coffee this time. He poured the coffee into that travel mug and, satisfied, tightened the cap and returned to his room. Dropping his bag beside Morgana, he went to his bed and rather fell on it.

“I’m pooped,” Akira said, yawning. He felt drained from being at school but the time with Sumire lightened his mood. Concerned with her study session, Akira decided to message her.

_How’s studying, Sumi?_

“How was school?” Morgana asked curiously.

“It was fine, tiring as usual,” Akira answered monotonously, his eyes still on his phone. He turned around as he waited for a response from Sumire. Uncertain why he felt this way, Akira gave a deep sigh which only made Morgana stare at his back.

“What’s up?” Morgana asked.

“Nothing,” Akira responded. Then he noticed the “…” where Sumire was typing.

_Sumire: It’s going fine, senpai. How are you?_

Akira gave a sigh of relief before responding. Wondering what he’d say, he shook his head rapidly. It wasn’t like him to be so anxious. It’s not like it was guaranteed Sumire wouldn’t turn her back on him. That’s what everyone he’s gotten to befriend did. Every single one of them. So he decided to respond as casually as possible.

_I’m fine. Am I disturbing you?  
Sumire: Oh no, I’m about ready to sleep so it’s fine.  
Ah, I should be going to sleep too.  
Sumire: Okay! Goodnight, senpai.  
Night, Sumi._

Akira pocketed his phone and laid on his back again, placing his arms underneath his head as he stared at the ceiling. Without warning, his head began to ache, signaling the voices’ return. He hated this… But he was powerless to stop them from occurring.

_“You’re so useless.”  
“I wish I never had you. You bring us nothing but trouble.”  
“No one likes you.”  
“Everyone will leave you.”_

Akira gripped his head as he sat upright in his bed. “Stop!” Akira suddenly shouted aloud. The voices were loud and painful to Akira. It tempted him to isolate himself again but felt like it was too late for that decision. He made bonds with new people who he felt would be promising. Yet the voices returned anyway, so Akira felt it might be moot point to have bonds.

“What’s wrong, Akira?!” Morgana asked, leaping off the table and running to Akira.

“It’s… It’s nothing…” Akira said breathlessly, staring at his hands and sweating profusely. He honestly thought the voices were gone as he hadn’t heard them in a while now. But now they returned, and worse than before.

“Are you sure?” Morgana asked, concerned and looking up at Akira’s panicked face. He reached out a paw to Akira, to show support.

“I’ll be fine,” Akira muttered. “Not the first time it happened.”

“What happened?” asked Morgana, looking full of concern on his cat face. “You can tell me.”

“It’s really nothing,” Akira insisted. The voices seemed to subside, so Akira leaned against the wall for support as he felt dizzy for the moment. As much as he hated to admit it, he believed the voices just now. “I’m going to bed,” said Akira as he laid back on his bed as Morgana hopped off the bed.

“Good night, sleep well, Akira,” Morgana said as he returned to his spot on the desk by the stairs.

Akira closed his eyes and tried to sleep but all that came were images of his hometown and everyone rejecting him after getting a criminal record. Turning to the other side, more images came into his head, such as when his then crush found out he was getting expelled.

_“Y-You have a record, Akira-kun?” asked Sakura, who was fidgeting in place while twirling her fingers around her skirt._

_“Yeah…” Akira replied. “Um, how are you though?”_

_“I-I’m okay… uh, I actually have practice to go to right now, so see you later,” Sakura said, as if suddenly remembering she had something to do and ran off to the other side of the school building._

_“Sakura…” Akira said forlornly. “So this is it, huh… Everyone’s abandoned me.”_

Akira opened his eyes suddenly, tears welling in his eyes. Everything came back to him fresh, as if it had just happened that very day. Trying to remember something positive, an image of Sumire smiling surfaced in his head and that lifted his spirits a bit. Wiping the tears, Akira rolled back onto his back. While uncertain who he could trust to not leave him again, he only hoped he found some steadfast friends now. Slowly, Akira fell asleep with Morgana watching from his position with a worried expression.


End file.
